《The Naked Demon》


 Part One. The Seduction

    1


    "How much d''you wanna bet that Gordon will ask me out next week?" Liz said on our way to the club.


    Liz was my new classmate who''d suggested we celebrate our arrival on campus.


    "Whatever turns you on," I said. Gordon was the alpha male of our predominantly female faculty.


    "Just don''t tell me you don''t like him!"


    Did I detect the note of a challenge in her voice? "He''s all right," I mumbled. Never a good idea to ruin your relationship with your roommate on your first day at school. "He''s cute... I suppose."


    "Cute? He''s freakin'' awesome!" Liz raised her voice. Other commuters turned their heads our way, forcing her to turn the sound down a bit. "You''re just jealous because he''s never even looked your way. He kept staring at me all day today in class. I thought he''d twist his neck!"


    I decided not to argue. Pointless. When somebody like Liz got something into their head, you couldn''t prize it out with a crowbar.


    Gordon was quite attractive, I had to give him that. Tall and fit, equal doses of cute and empty-headed. A rich daddy''s boy... nothing really for an intelligent self-respecting girl to sink her teeth into. As far as I was concerned, he didn''t merit a second glance. I prided myself on being quite a good judge of character ¡ª which was exactly why I''d chosen psychology as my major ¡ª so our alpha male wasn''t on my list of priorities.


    Talking about which, I had soon discovered a much more interesting subject to pursue. Our developmental psychology lecturer. Now Mr. Wagner was a totally different animal. He was cute. And besides, he was also sophisticated and very intelligent. You could see at once he had no identity issues while all Gordon could do was prance about in front of doting girls. He had no substance, sorry. As far as I was concerned, Liz was more than welcome to him.


    I had to admit I felt quite a bit out of place. This was my first club night in NYC. My home town didn''t have much to offer as far as going out was concerned ¡ª even if I''d been interested in going out which I hadn''t: I was too busy studying. So now that my dream had finally come true and I was a proud student at City College NY, it was time I had some well-deserved fun.


    The first thing I noticed when I entered the club was the noise. The music assaulted my eardrums the moment I walked in.


    Secondly, it was crowded. I mean, really. The dance floor was packed stiff with gyrating bodies. Virtually no place left by the bar. We forced our way through the crowd and grabbed the two remaining stools, one of which we wrestled away from some man in an old-fashioned fedora hat who looked admittedly out of place there. We ordered a couple of glasses of Sex on the Beach (not because we knew what it was but because we liked the name). Liz downed hers almost in one gulp while I sipped mine as I studied the crowd.


    It was dark. Every so often, the strobe lights pierced the room which then submerged back into darkness sliced by laser beams. Amid them, shadows rushed about, obeying the heavy rhythm.


    I still felt out of place. I''d never been to NYC before (well, almost), let alone to a night club. Neither of us dared to get up and dance so we just shared our observations, watching the dancers. Liz downed another cocktail ¡ª purely for Dutch courage. We soon ran out of whichever cute guys we could discuss and switched our attention to the girls.


    I''d noticed this particular chick almost the moment I''d walked in. She was the center of everybody''s attention ¡ª not just mine. Admittedly I felt a pang of jealousy studying her relaxed manner ¡ª loose even. She danced with abandon, surrounded by enthusiastic males. I could never pull off anything like that. She exuded some kind of power that just drew everyone''s eyes to her. She wasn''t particularly good-looking ¡ª but she was sex on two legs, pure and simple. I could imagine what men felt about her if I could sense her vibes from where I sat. And her eyes... the way she looked at you!


    Just as I was thinking about it, she turned and stared directly at me. Her expression sent shivers down my spine. How''s that for inner freedom? You could see that she literally knew no limits.


    Still dancing, she sashayed toward the bar, shooting glances around. The men around me perked up, preparing to order her a drink the moment she came closer. What a girl. Give her a couple more years, and she''d be a right femme fatale!


    How this creature somehow ended up next to me, I''d no idea. I was actually in the process of climbing down the bar stool intending to find the ladies'' room when she shoved her generous bosom against mine. She had to be eighteen or nineteen ¡ª way below the legal limit. How on earth had she gotten in?


    Her eyes glistened with a weird yellow and red flame. The locket on my chest ¡ª a gift from my late Gran ¡ª grew unbearably hot, burning my skin. With my back pressed against the stool, I had nowhere to escape to.


    "Your blood smells familiar," she said, leaning close to me. "Hail, O daughter of Barbas!"


    Liquid fire melted in her eyes. She was so irresistibly seductive that for a moment, I doubted my own sexual preferences. She was slim and wide-hipped with a gorgeous bosom, but the most incredible thing about her was that luring call in her eyes. What did she want from me?


    "You''re good enough," the temptress gasped. "I''ve never tasted a Princess before."


    Her scarlet lips parted, exposing the tip of a ravenous tongue. Suddenly she clung to me, sinking her lips into mine. Oops.


    The guys around us whistled and catcalled. Someone applauded; somebody else cussed wholeheartedly. Me, I felt as if I''d been struck by lightning. The girl shrank away and disappeared. I opened my eyes wide, sensing an unknown need in every cell of my body.


    Everything had changed. The lights were now brighter, the shadows clearer, the sounds louder. I swept my hands along my body ¡ª it felt as if I''d never done so before. I was bursting with the desire to dance, to move, to work this crowd attracting male stares. So not typical of me. I could sense their eyes as all attention had switched over to me.


    I cast a sideways glance at the temptress girl shrinking by the bar. How could I have been so deluded? This was an ordinary girl, looking lost and scared, casting confused glances around her ¡ª nothing special whatsoever. Never mind. Time to forget her and hit the dance floor, embracing the drive and welcoming its seductive energy.


    Now it was me dancing in the center, all eyes on me. Why wouldn''t they be? After all, I was so incredibly cool. All I needed was a guy who was worth it. I looked around, studying the men gathering like flies around me.


    I could still feel a tiny part of the old me: an inner voice, quiet and distant, that was watching me in bewilderment. Could this little temptress have had some mind-altering substance on her lips? What was wrong with me all of a sudden? Never in my life had I behaved like a, let''s put it straight, like a tramp.


    Then a surge of new sensations drowned out the tiny voice of reason. I went with the flow, succumbing to this weird new impulse.


    2


    The buzzing of the phone woke me up. I opened one eye to the soft early-morning light seeping through the window. Sunrise still glowed red in the window panes of the house opposite. Whoever was dumb enough to text me at this hour?


    Without turning my head, I reached for the cell on the floor by the bed. I didn''t recognize the sender. Had to be a wrong number. I yawned and opened it, anyway. Then I froze.


    Hi babe. Can''t sleep. Keep thinking about you. Ready to be smothered with kisses... again.


    The message ended with a scattering of weird characters that were supposed to testify either to the sender''s lamentable state of mental health or to the extent of the emotions overpowering him. Or both. A normal stranger wouldn''t write anything of that sort to me, would he? I never, ahem, dated strangers, and this... Wait a sec! Did it mean that last night I''d actually... gone on a date?


    I was still mulling over the thought when my body stretched invitingly, almost on its own accord. I licked my lips ¡ª equally involuntarily. Immediately I knew that yes, I''d done it. And I''d done it with a vengeance.


    But how was it possible that I''d actually, er, kissed someone and was none the wiser?


    Still disbelieving, I jumped out of bed overflowing with the energy bursting within me. I couldn''t have had more than a couple of hours'' sleep. What time was it? Seven a.m.? What in God''s name had forced me out of bed an hour before the alarm? And what on earth was I doing?


    I had an eerie feeling of watching myself as I started doing things utterly out of character. There I was, awake at this ungodly hour, even though the snooze button was normally my best friend. And now I sat down at Liz''s desk even though she was still asleep. For the moment, we were alone in our four-bed room: the other two students hadn''t yet arrived. I took her mirror and her makeup purse and began applying her makeup. That''s me, of all people. I''d never, ever had time for makeup, even less so getting out of bed spending precious morning time on something as pointless and vain as painting my face. What was wrong with me? I was good-looking enough as I was, wasn''t I?


    Admittedly, I liked the result. I''d no idea whatsoever of what had happened to me the night before but whatever it was, it had definitely improved my makeup skills. A beautiful woman ¡ª beautiful as in predatory ¡ª was staring back at me from the mirror. Very young. She could have even been the ''fox'' that the stupid text message had alluded to. What if the guy was a makeup artist? And what if he''d actually spent the evening teaching me his professional skills? Yeah, right.


    I smiled, looking at the result, then threw the mirror down and danced around the room, overwhelmed by the energy. My body felt weightless as if filled with some bubbly gas that made me want to fly, sing and dance ¡ª provided there were male eyes around to witness it. No, not so: I wanted them to admire me, their eyes searching my beautiful body; I wanted to feel their hands on me, hot and strong, feel my body respond and sing in unison, wanted myself to-


    "What''s wrong with you, woman?" Liz produced a heartrending yawn. "What time is it?"


    "No idea," I waltzed across the room, feeling weird desires taking over my body. "I don''t think you remember a guy called Jack, do you? He''s just texted me. And I can''t for the life of me-"


    She opened her eyes wide and sat up in bed. "What, only one?" she asked sarcastically, then pushed the quilt aside, looking wide awake. "After what you did yesterday, Allison girl, I''m surprised you''re not buried under six feet of texts and phone calls."


    "What do you suggest?" I honestly didn''t understand her. And still I felt so thoroughly pleased inside ¡ª like a cat who''d overdone it on the cream and was waiting for a second helping of roast mice.


    "Don''t tell me you can''t remember," she didn''t look as if she''d believed me. She lowered her feet onto the floor. "It''s very true what they say that it''s the quiet ones you gotta watch. Woman, last night you were dynamite! Men were literally falling all over you. There was very nearly a fight over you. Are you always like that when you have a drink?"


    Never happened to me before, I was going to object. But instead, my voice said, "I can have any man I want with or without a drink."


    Barefoot, Liz stumbled toward the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink. Her eyes narrowed into slits when she heard me. "Don''t you dare go anywhere near Gordon," she hissed.


    You''re very welcome to him, I was about to say. Instead, I sniffed. "Now that''s a thought!"


    I opened the wardrobe. Two dresses and a skirt! How utterly miserable. Knee-length, too. No, that wasn''t the way to live.


    I reached in and ripped the floral ruffles off the hem of a sundress, then slid into it. Much better! It looked totally different: not a frilly mess my grandma wouldn''t be seen dead wearing but something hugging and tantalizingly short. I checked myself in the mirror, thoroughly pleased with the result. I was going to remove the old locket, too ¡ª it definitely didn''t match the new look ¡ª but reconsidered. It snuggled so well in my cleavage.


    Liz watched me, dumbfounded. "Don''t you dare, Allison," she began.


    I reached into the wardrobe for a pair of heels I''d bought just in case of some super hot date. Not because I''d thought I might not have to study ¡ª but you know, just in case. Now this was the case and I admittedly looked hot in all that makeup and a dangerously short dress. The old me would never have dared to go out looking like that ¡ª at least not without an escort of chaperones. But today was different. I grabbed the purse that I''d borrowed from Liz last night, blew her a kiss and slid out of the room.


    See you later!


    3


    Normally, I never enjoyed my morning bus ride to school. I hated the feeling of being stuck in a close space with other people, being watched first thing in the morning. But this time seeing other students excited me for some reason ¡ª especially the male ones. My gaze followed them, appraising, absorbing their vibes. I could feel their attention on my skin, I could sense their hunger ¡ª yes, they checked me out too. And the stares they gave me! Any other time I would have probably wished for the earth to swallow me whole, but strangely enough, now I was enjoying it.


    Still, soon their interest began to bore me. Those were the wrong kinds of men. No, this was the wrong place to hunt. No big game here.


    I sat down at my desk at the lecture hall, casting greedy glances around me. These were also students ¡ª but actually, not too bad. Some looked quite appetizing. But I couldn''t really give them much thought. I knew very well whom I fancied. I was waiting for Mr. Wagner, my sweet developmental psychology lecturer. He was perfect for a start.


    Start of what? I heard an indignant little voice deep inside. I didn''t answer. I knew very well what I meant. No, not I: there was something else inside me and that something wasn''t me any more... what was it?


    All this mental confusion stayed somewhere in the back of my mind, distant and weak. It definitely didn''t prevent me from stirring and moving around, watching everyone.


    The lecture hall was nearly empty, my classmates still scurrying in and out, taking their places at the tiered desks and generally shooting the breeze. Gordon the Cute strode toward the room from the opposite end of the hallway. Talk of the devil. He swaggered toward me, escorted by two girls I didn''t know very well. He was constantly surrounded by some heavily made up and equally unimpressive types. Now he was busy telling them something, the girls giggling in the background. Then he saw me walking in his direction.


    He didn''t stop dead in his tracks the way Liz had, no. The hallway was quite dark so he hadn''t had a chance to appreciate my metamorphosis in its entirety. He looked confused ¡ª he''d long written me off as someone not worth paying any attention to.


    I kept walking straight toward him. At this rate, we''d run into each other in the doorway. He wasn''t ever going to give way to me. You''re so not worth it, I could read in his eyes. The girls were the first to realize that something was wrong when I hadn''t stopped, lowering my eyes as their king approached. Quite the contrary: my shoulders spread wide, my hips swayed a little harder.


    As the ''king'' came closer, I could see the confusion in his face. It wasn''t just the fact that I refused to give way. There was something wrong with me overall: I had the wrong walk, the wrong clothes and the wrong attitude. He stepped into the doorway, then stumbled ¡ª exactly where I''d wanted him to, at the exact moment when I made my entrance into the room.


    The girls rushed toward me. Most likely, they simply wanted to push me off my feet, removing the obstacle in their idol''s path. Or did they want to hustle me away? Whatever it was, one glare in their direction was enough (why, or why had it never happened to me before?). They made themselves scarce double quick, leaving Gordon alone.


    "Allison!" he exclaimed mechanically.


    I gave him a poke in the stomach. "You should go easy on the beer, you know. Your belly just keeps growing."


    Gordon doubled, bending over me. He had no abs worth mentioning ¡ª exactly as I''d thought.


    It just so happened that all eyes were on us at that moment: Gordon, our unofficial but universally acknowledged alpha, stooping over me in a bow as I entered the room.


    He grabbed my hand. "What do you think you''re doing?"


    Confusion was spelled all over his face. I could see that he was acting on auto pilot. Okay now, time to switch your brain back on. Or should I say, the organ that passes for brains in males?


    Then I gave him this look ¡ª checking him out head to toe. "Catch!" I hurled my handbag at him.


    Men usually have good reactions: first they catch, then they think. Gordon grabbed my bag. "What am I supposed to do with this?"


    "Carry it for me, will you," stepping close, I laid my hand on his chest, my leg laced around his. The room gasped. "I think I need a foot massage."


    Then I headed for my usual place in the fifth row, just opposite the lecturer''s desk. Gordon stayed put, gasping for air. Whatever had happened to me, it hadn''t made him any more attractive in my eyes. He just didn''t belong in my new rating system. The likes of him are for an emergency feed only. The bulk of their energy goes into their peacock''s feathers ¡ª that is, all show and no substance. He was probably a mediocre kisser, just going through the motions unwilling to put himself out.


    Now he had to make up his mind whether he had to follow me or ignore my cues. In all honesty, I couldn''t have cared less: I''d just seen Mr. Wagner, the psychology lecturer, enter the room.


    The moment I saw him I knew why I''d chosen him. He was just too good. Like a ripe peach, he was begging for a bite ¡ª for a kiss. I imagined bringing my face close to his, drinking his sweet breath as my tongue caressed his upper lip... He was saying something but I didn''t hear a word ¡ª I was deep in my own world, floating in a bubble bath of fantasy.


    I didn''t even notice Gordon take a place next to me. Only when he pressed his shoulder to mine and laid his hand on my hip, did I realize I wasn''t alone.


    I knew of course that I''d put him in a very awkward position. I''d treated our alpha male as if he were my boyfriend ¡ª I, who admittedly rated as one of the bottom feeders.


    Still, my metamorphosis kept attracting stares. Gordon couldn''t not have noticed that everybody''s eyes were on me. Even after the lecture had begun, whichever few males we had in class twisted their heads to get an eyeful of me. Of me, not of him ¡ª and that included the girls. Even Mr. Wagner kept casting surprised glances my way. Either he couldn''t recognize me or he just went with the flow.


    So it looked as if Gordon lost nothing by seeking my attention. In a way, if he won me, it could only improve his doubtless royal status.


    A note landed on the desk in front of me. Hi beautiful, fancy going clubbing tonight? No name, but judging by the way our uber athlete Neil was craning his neck ¡ª he and Gordon sort of competed in the fitness department ¡ª it had to be him.


    Immediately Derek whispered dramatically from his desk above,


    "Allison darling, what a welcome change! You''ve opened my eyes to the other side of your nature! Should we maybe discuss it tonight over a glass of wine?"


    Derek was our nerd, quiet and unimpressive, but if you saw the car that came every day to school to collect him, you''d be green with envy.


    Two of the rivals had already made their first step. Gordon couldn''t suffer being outdone. His hand slid higher along my hip, approaching what you could just about confuse for a skirt. With a sweet smile, I moved away and placed my feet in his lap.


    "Foot massage, please," I kicked off my sandals, simultaneously blowing a kiss to Neil and whispering to Derek, "You can drive, can''t you? We don''t need any Peeping Toms."


    "I''ll learn to, I promise," he assured me.


    Liz who sat at the desk below kept turning round, casting threatening glares my way. I really should have stayed on my roommate''s good side. This Gordon creature was the last person I needed! But today, the voice of reason apparently had no say. I just couldn''t stop and there was no way I could do anything about it.


    Some part of me realized, of course, that it wasn''t the short dress or my provocative behavior that attracted my male classmates. There was something else too, something I now possessed that hadn''t been there before. And that ''new something'' didn''t give a damn about Liz''s glares and the fact that we were roommates. The new part of me demanded that all male stares were on me, and that was the end of it.


    In the meantime, I exchanged saucy notes with Derek and made eyes at Neil while Gordon kneaded my feet thinking he was massaging them. I didn''t even notice the class end.


    "You wait outside," I told Gordon, then hurried to join the other girls who surrounded the teacher''s desk. Or rather, I stood calmly at the back waiting for those useless creatures to finally leave him alone. How dare they distract the man I wanted for myself! Get away, all of you!


    They must have heard my inner monologue. Casting hostile glances my way, they started to disperse until only one remained standing by the desk. Mr. Wagner was busy explaining something to her while she was slowly backing away toward the exit, turning paler every moment as I made furious faces at her from behind the teacher''s back.


    "What is it, Allison?" the man of my dreams was collecting his notes, placing them neatly in a yellow leather briefcase.


    I''d have never, ever in a thousand years thought of something like that myself. I mean, how stupid was that, climbing a desk in order to seduce someone? What''s so seductive about it? But the new part of me, the one that had made me wake up early, shorten my dress and walk out hunting men ¡ª the same creature had now forced me to silently and effortlessly jump onto the desk and crouch on it in a most inappropriate pose.


    Mr. Wagner raised his eyebrows. His hand ¡ª which had just finished packing the last pencil ¡ª froze, clutching his briefcase.


    Some distant part of my mind realized, of course, that I was doing something totally shameless and incredibly stupid. But when Mr. Wagner turned to me, looking at me with those deep dark velvety eyes, I forgot all about it. Those high university desks were actually a great invention: now our faces were at the same level. The surprise in his stare was gradually giving place to desire. I knew this kind of look only too well (now why would I? my inner voice asked skeptically from some unreachable depth of my mind).


    He was mine. Everything in me rejoiced at the news. My head was a total mess: the desire for his kiss mixed with the fondness I felt for this man ¡ª tall and skinny which made him slightly awkward ¡ª plus the surprise at my own actions and the intoxication of the chemistry between us. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy it: somehow I knew that desire only grows when restrained, your body seething, boiling, your stare scorching.


    Silently I clung to his lips. Our breathing blended. My tongue felt his tightly closed lips that succumbed quickly. I slid inside, then moved away, the tip of my tongue tracing his still-hard lips, his unmoving tongue. His breath quickened; his mouth softened, responding to my kiss even though not as passionately as I''d have liked him to.


    Me, I was indeed boiling. I think I was fuming. I couldn''t control myself any longer. How on earth was it possible? I slung my arms around his neck and lowered my legs from the desk, pressing my stomach against the, ahem-


    Against his briefcase. Shit! Without stopping the passionate kiss ¡ª now both of us were fuming, I think ¡ª I snatched the wretched bag, trying to remove the last obstacle between us.


    The briefcase didn''t budge. What the hell? I sensed with my stomach my man''s fingers tighten on the handle. Was it a protest? Resistance?


    My indignation was such ¡ª no one had ever dared resist me before! ¡ª that I backed off in surprise. Mr. Wagner used his briefcase as a shield, pushing himself away from me, forcing himself away from my demanding mouth. He''d turned pale.


    "Allison, I want you to stop," he managed. "I''m married."


    "What difference does that make," I groaned, impatient.


    I could see loyalty and desire fighting within him. Oh yes, I could well sense that he was dying to take me in his arms. Using that moment of weakness and hesitation, I jumped off the desk, walked around that wretched briefcase and clung to his side. My hands slid under his jacket, caressing his back and his chest through his shirt, moving lower. I shouldn''t slow down! I needed him now, otherwise this thirst, this hunger for a man would devour me from the inside. I needed a man, now.


    And still Mr. Wagner stood there like a lamppost, unresponsive. He was shuddering; I could sense that his entire being was answering my call... and still he wouldn''t give in. He clutched the briefcase handle, almost crumpling it. Dammit! I reached for the bag again and yanked it toward myself.


    I think he sensed that his bastion was about to collapse around his ears. Pale no more, he was red in the face, his fingers closing over the handle.


    But I wasn''t going to strip him of his shield. That had been a decoy, forcing him to lose his balance. Still clenching his briefcase as if it were a lifebuoy, he nearly collapsed on top of me. Gotcha! I reached for his lips again. As long as I didn''t break eye contact with him, the rest would be easy.


    My hands lay on his shoulders. I clung to him.


    He shuddered as if electrocuted and pulled himself away, gasping.


    "Allison, enough," he whispered, begging. "I love my wife and I don''t want to-"


    "Just kiss me," I commanded, not recognizing my own voice hoarse with passion. How much longer could he resist? I needed a man! I was hungry! Unable to restrain myself any longer, I draped my arms around his neck.


    Mr. Wagner backed off toward the exit. I followed while he continued to press the briefcase to his body, shielding himself. Finally his back hit the closed door while I pressed myself against him, my chest rising, my tongue tracing his shaking lips. He wasn''t going anywhere now. One last time I reached for his briefcase, gently pulling it toward me. It wasn''t going to help him anymore.


    The rest was so unexpectedly simple that I froze with indignation, feeling cheated. Red and disheveled, the teacher slid out of the classroom, leaving the offending briefcase in my hands. The door slammed shut before my nose.


    No! Shit, shit, shit! I yanked the door open and darted out of the room. "Mr. Wagner, your briefcase!"


    His tall figure had disappeared at the end of the narrow hallway. Busy and loud, the place engulfed me.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Gordon stepped in my way. "What took you so long?" he asked. "What were you two doing in there?"


    "That''s none of your business," I snapped. "Let me go."


    I was so furious I thought I''d explode.


    "It is my business," Gordon grinned. "I''ve been waiting here for you like a lapdog while you''ve locked yourself in with a teacher? He rushed out as if hell hounds were after him. Anyway, it''s your problem. I need compensation. You''ve made me look like a jerk in front of everyone, so that''s the least you can do for me."


    He grabbed me and dragged me to the opposite end of the hallway toward the restrooms. I didn''t resist that much ¡ª only a little, just to tease him a bit. The strange hunger still gnawed at me and I knew that I had to satiate it fast. Otherwise... Gordon was just as good a kisser as any of them. Nothing like Mr. Wagner, of course, but beggars can''t be choosers. Another moment, and I''d attack any one of my classmates right there in the hallway. Jesus, what was wrong with me?


    The area next to the restrooms was quieter but still busy. Not a good place, no. Just when I was about to tell him so, he turned off into an inconspicuous doorway to our left. That was the broom closet stinking of bleach, its shelves groaning with cleaning stuffs and rolls of toilet paper.


    Gordon pressed my back against the wall, digging his fingers into my back, sinking his mouth into mine. Yes, yes! All I needed was for him to deliver me from this unbearable inhuman craving!


    We kissed nonstop, our breath steaming up the closet which was almost pitch black save for some light seeping through a crack in the door. Then a thought forced its way to the surface through the fog of animal passion, What a slob.


    I grasped at that tiny ray of reason, trying to fan a spark of consciousness inside me. What was wrong with me? I couldn''t stand the guy! Was I really going to stoop so low, kissing someone I didn''t even like?


    My body kept going of its own accord. Gordon squeezed me in his arms as I groaned, writhing in his hands. All the while, the little voice kept going deep inside, growing stronger until it filled my head completely, That''s not the right thing to do, Allison, and you know it. When all this is over, you''re going to regret it. Normally, it''s better to regret something you did than regret not doing it. But this isn''t the case. You''d better stop it ¡ª now.


    With a superhuman effort of willpower, I pressed my hands against his chest and forced him away, feeling my own hands resisting me. Shouldering him aside, I pushed him onto a stack of brooms and forced myself out of the closet.


    It felt a bit better. I paused to catch my breath. I seemed to control my own body better now.


    Through the still-open closet door I ¡ª and a group of students that were walking past ¡ª could see Gordon lying on top of a heap of brooms amid the avalanche of cleaning fluid bottles. Our alpha male turned crimson and tried to cover his face with his backpack. I just couldn''t help it ¡ª I laughed. The students joined in, guffawing. I''d have loved to know what they were thinking seeing him in there. Did they think he was doing it to a broom?


    "I''ll remember that," he hissed at my back.


    I headed outside. I had to leave the school ¡ª now. The unsated desire rumbled in my stomach, clawing at my insides. I was dying to go back and continue hunting males, which was why I kept fighting myself, forcing myself out. With every step it got easier. And the moment I walked outside and took in a few gulps of fresh air, I finally sensed for the first time that morning that I was in control of myself. I used that control to go back to campus as fast as my feet could carry me.


    4


    Back in my room, I gulped cold water straight from the tap until I couldn''t drink any more. Then I jumped under the freezing cold shower to try to calm down the boiler engine still seething inside me. It sort of helped: the restless hungry beast grumbled a little, then curled up and fell asleep. It had left me alone for the time being, but for how long?


    Good news: all carnal desire had left me. Bad news: it had been replaced by ravenous hunger. I had probably been hungry all along, only I''d been too busy with other things. As I started the coffee machine and made myself an enormous three-layer sandwich, I kept thinking. I didn''t like it at all. What exactly had I done? The events of that morning felt hazy and unclear. Was I developing a split personality disorder?


    I took a hearty bite of my sandwich, grabbed the coffee mug and sat down, leafing through a clinical psychology book. I perused it all the way to the end and then back to front, discovering that science had lots of answers to my question. No, I didn''t like it at all. What had happened sounded very much like a multiple personality disorder and me, like a nymphomaniac in denial. The problem was that MPD sufferers don''t remember the actions performed by their alternative identities and I admittedly remembered a thing or two.


    I felt myself blush just with the memory. That couldn''t have been me. No way.


    Then who had it been?


    Who had taken over my body or my mind, or both? Whatever had happened that night in the club? Now that was the part I admittedly couldn''t remember. Liz and I, we''d gone to the club ¡ª actually, she probably hated me now. What was I supposed to tell her once she was back from school? Dammit. Now, now, I had to concentrate. I didn''t want to become a nymphomaniac. I had to get rid of it somehow, otherwise I''d lose all respect for myself. And self-respect made up a large part of my identity... or had done.


    So, where was I? We''d gone to the club... had a couple of drinks... then Liz had gone to dance and I... yes, I remembered that girl who looked totally cool and she... she''d kissed me. Why? I remembered myself thinking she must have been drunk. That was it! It was after that kiss that I''d felt this ravenous sexual hunger, sensed that kiss-crazy animal stir inside me. I''d love to know why? Could I be gay, maybe? What if that girl had sort of, what did they call it, enlightened me? Still it didn''t add up. Had I been gay, I wouldn''t have spent all morning chasing men at school, I''d have simply started making advances to Liz there and then.


    No, it couldn''t have been that.


    I yawned. It was only midday. I couldn''t believe how tired I was. The incredible energy that had filled me that morning was now gone. My body felt heavy and unyielding. Should I take a nap, maybe? You never know, I might wake up, forget all about it and finally be able to concentrate on the reason for my being here: my studies. Liz would be back by then, I''d borrow her notes and apologize, we''d kiss and make up... and no more clubs, at least till the end of the year! Nothing at all but quiet campus evenings poring over books!


    My cell rang. I startled. What now?


    I didn''t recognize the number. I didn''t want to take the call at first but then I thought, it might throw some light on my weird behavior. Or even explain something? So I picked it up.


    "Is that you, babe?" the voice was soft and velvety, very imposing.


    "And you are..." I answered carefully. I''d never in my life heard that voice before.


    "My angel! My goddess!"


    I took the phone from my ear, away from all the ridiculous compliments. Dammit. So Jack, whoever he was, hadn''t been the only one.


    "My precious, my only one, do tell me when I can see you again," the stranger intoned as if reciting a theater part. "You promised me the world, remember? You left me this number so now I''m calling you as promised, my angel. I''m on fire."


    Whew. Finally some good news. Apparently, I''d somehow managed to confine my appetites to Jack, whoever he was, leaving this one on the back burner.


    "And?" the phone demanded. "When? Where?"


    "Sorry, you''ve got the wrong number," I said.


    "No, no, no, babe, this is your voice and no mistake!"


    Very well, then. He asked for it.


    "Young man," I said in a stern voice, "what kind of conversation is this? I''m fifty-nine years old and forced to listen to your solicitations! Now excuse me, I need to put my grandson to bed. You can come if you wish; in fact, I''d appreciate if you could pick up a pack of diapers on your way in size three. Oh, and two pots of baby formula. And would it be too much to ask you to also get him a new bib?"


    The phone fell silent. After a hesitant pause, the speaker hung up. Joylessly I stared at the cell in my hand. What could this all mean? What was causing my sexual appetite to go off the scale? I''d never been like this! I couldn''t remember myself ever running after men like a cat on heat! Who else had I given my number to? Only the number, hopefully ¡ª not the actual address...


    I couldn''t think straight any more. I switched the cell off ¡ª no more phone calls for me! ¡ª and crawled into bed. It was hard and creaky but I drifted off without even noticing it.


    The awakening was horrible. The hungry beast had returned. My lower belly was on fire.


    It was already late, the yellow lamplights dispelling the dark outside. Liz sat at her desk, busy writing in her notebook. Had it been me, I would have apologized to her straight away, the moment was perfect. But the problem was, I didn''t decide anything anymore! My place in my body had already been taken by the same weird force that had been controlling me that morning and the night before. I could only watch, helplessly, from the outskirts of my mind as the other me, horny and needy, jumped off the bed and began retouching her makeup, ignoring my roommate who was casting bloodthirsty glances at me, making it perfectly clear she might consider forgiving me if I took the trouble of explaining my behavior.


    Problem was, I ¡ª the other I ¡ª couldn''t have cared less about her feelings, be they anger or otherwise. I couldn''t have cared less about any possible repercussions of what had happened earlier. I was driven by my craving. I had only one need ¡ª the need of a man. Preferably strong and juicy.


    The ''other me'' took my best skirt out of the wardrobe ¡ª a demure knee-length pencil piece that Mom had wanted me to wear for special academic occasions. I pinched the fabric and ripped through the hem, tearing the lower half off.


    Liz ¡ª who watched my every move ¡ª gasped. I tried the resulting scrap of fabric on. Perfect. The hem fringed, barely covering my backside. Now a clinging T-shirt with a deep cleavage and a nice pair of heels. Time to go hunting some more game ¡ª which was running toward me only too impatient to get caught.


    5


    The other me was hungry. And she wasn''t going for second best. She wasn''t interested in what I (or her?) mentally called ''male junk'': all those young students and other slobs: henpecked husbands, alcoholics and junkies, all sorts of nerds and miscellaneous losers poor on energy. You needed at least several of those to make a good meal which meant one night might not be enough. What the other me needed was a mature man: decisive and confident, generous and strong. So this ''other me'' kept wriggling my body, surrounded by a crowd of drooling youngsters in the center of the dance floor while her eye scanned the club. If she didn''t find anyone, I''d have to go somewhere else ¡ª and I only knew two or three clubs in the whole of Manhattan. Actually, "knew'' was an overstatement: I had simply noticed their neon signs on my way to school.


    I was in luck, though. A man wearing an Indiana Jones-type fedora hat was standing at the bar drinking whiskey on the rocks. The energy coming from him was just too powerful.


    The next moment I found myself standing next to him. "Hi. What''s a nice guy like you doing with a body like that?"


    He turned his head in my direction, casting me an appraising look. I heaved my breasts, sensing his stare.


    He gave me an unhurried smile. "Do you really want to know?"


    He was good. In the flickering lights I could just make out his large symmetrical face ¡ª and a cunning glint in his eye. His smile was mind-boggling, sexy and charismatic, very attractive.


    "Dance?" he asked. Reaching out to touch the locket on my chest, he brushed, as if accidentally, the skin of my low cleavage.


    He had to be here seeking the same thing as I was. Looking for a partner. All inhibitions flew out of the window ¡ª there we were in the middle of the dance floor, our bodies so close as the lights kept strobing, revealing in snapshots his amazing half-smile, his warm eyes, his cheekbones. I was dying to cling to his lips but even with my heels he was way too tall. And whenever he bent down to brush my face with his lips or trace my neck with his tongue, I tried to reach for his lips but every time his sensual mouth evaded mine. He laughed in my ear, his tongue tickling my skin; I was on fire, I couldn''t care less about all those people around us.


    I was about to jump on top of him there and then when he said, "Let''s go to my place."


    This wasn''t an invitation ¡ª it was a command. No doubt in my mind: yes, yes, a thousand times yes.


    We left. Later, I couldn''t remember either his car nor the address: the place seemed vaguely familiar which was the only reason I noticed it at all. In the car, my arms were around him while he laughed, driving with one hand while using the other to force my hands away, simultaneously stroking my hair, my shoulders, my neck. Faster!


    In the elevator we fell into each other''s arms and didn''t let go on the landing as he fumbled for the keys and unlocked the door. Intertwined like a multi-armed Indian god, we stumbled into his dark apartment.


    A screaming cat burst from under our feet. With a startle, we broke apart. He turned on the light. I saw an enormous fat cat sitting on the cap stand, indignation in his squinted stare. We looked at each other and laughed.


    "Tea, coffee? Or something stronger?" he asked when we finally caught our breath.


    "Just you," the hungry beast inside me said firmly.


    He smiled. Groaning with desire, I jumped onto him. His strong hands grasped me, raising me in the air. I straddled him, drinking his warm, soft, promising lips, the inner fire consuming me, enveloping me, drowning out the voice of reason. The other me saw nothing but him, smelled nothing but the heady scent of his skin that tasted salty on my tongue. Blood pulsated in my temples; my heart thundered inside me. The other me was oblivious to everything around her ¡ª so neither did I notice us sinking our lips into each other''s flesh, biting rather than kissing. Our groans and heavy breathing echoed like celestial music in our ears, a symphony of passion, the background theme to the story of our arousal.


    Miaow, the cat watched us from the doorway. The other me didn''t see him, too busy drinking the man''s breath. It was the real me ¡ª some distant corner of my consciousness ¡ª that had noticed the cat and his strange behavior. Arching his back, the animal tensed up, watching me with those shiny eyes of his. It was probably this weird little detail that drew my attention to all the others: the smotheringly heavy odor of frankincense and some strange-looking antique bronze braziers positioned on the carpet around the bed, smoldering with herbs. The heavy perfume surrounded us, shielding us from the world, enveloping the other me and her man.


    My head went round with the aroma that sent me deeper into the sea of passion spreading over my entire body. The other me groaned louder, clinging harder to the man who kept evading her clutches, laughing, while I struggled to stay focused on his strange lodgings. What were those bunches of herbs drying under the ceiling? I''d seen something similar in Gran''s house, but that was different: she used to be a herbal doctor who knew a lot about folk medicine. But why here? And why the candles next to the braziers?


    I was desperate. Hunger had taken the better of me. In one smooth motion, I ripped his T-shirt in two. He stood before me, bare-chested and perfect like a Greek god: his muscles, his six-pack, his wonderfully fit body. My mouth filled with saliva.


    Looking me straight in the eye, he cupped my face, bringing his mouth close. I couldn''t wait, clinging to his yielding lips. He answered my kiss energetically, his tongue parting my lips and entwining with mine. Then he jerked it back hard.


    Something jumped off the tip of my tongue, exiting me like a cannonball. It felt like being shoved in the chest. I collapsed onto my backside ¡ª or rather, onto my hands I''d stuck out just in time to soften my fall. The chain on my neck broke, the locket clanging onto the floor next to me.


    The cat hissed, the hackles on his neck rising, his tail bristling like a toilet brush. I saw a naked creature hovering in the air at eyes'' level. Shamelessly naked she was, translucent and so bodyliciously beautiful you could die of envy on the spot. I could see the room right through her which spoiled the impression a little.


    Her transparency was of a rather liquid nature ¡ª not like an airy fog or something. Also, she was almost concealed by the thick fumes coming from the braziers. The creature thrashed about between them ¡ª and then I realized that all those antique objects and candles weren''t placed in disarray ¡ª on the contrary, they formed a pattern ¡ª a pentagram. A protective circuit.


    The creature soared to the ceiling where the frankincense fumes were even thicker. She turned her face to us, her beautiful features distorted by fury. Her upper lip rose, revealing sharp fangs. She flashed, becoming thicker and more material, even though still translucent. Lashing out with the dangerous-looking claws on her crooked fingers, she went for us.


    We stood by the bed ¡ª or rather, he did while I was still sitting on my backside on the floor. He reached under the quilt and produced what looked like a noose woven with some unknown fibers. A noose? What''s he gonna do with that?


    A loud snapping sound battered my eardrums. The creature shrank back. Then she turned round and, grinning predatorily, went for me.


    Mechanically, I raised my hand still clenching the torn locket chain. The locket landed on the ethereal girl''s head and broke in two, showering her with the herbal dust that had been contained inside it all those years.


    Where the locket had touched the creature''s translucent head, reality parted, sending circles of shimmering waves around the room. They went through the walls, dying in the depths of space.


    I cried out in surprise. The man gasped as the waves died away. The transparent woman screamed out in rage and confusion and disappeared in a spray of droplets.


    She was gone.


    Like, totally.


    As if she''d never existed.


    I felt something deep inside of me answering an unknown call; some part of me that I''d never sensed before ¡ª no, not so. I''d had a similar feeling several years ago when Grandma had hung the locket around my neck. It felt as if my blood was boiling, filling my entire body with liquid fire, about to pour out and destroy everything around me.


    Then the feeling was gone.


    "So!" I heard the man''s voice, rich and deep. He helped me to my feet. "You''ve just exorcised a demon!"


    I shook my head, trying to come round. It didn''t help much. I felt intoxicated with all the frankincense, and the strong male arms around me were so warm, hugging me so tight. A spasm ran over my body.


    "I just can''t believe it!" he went on. "Does that mean that you really are... I could have expected anything but that! And what''s that locket you were wearing?"


    I didn''t answer. I felt embarrassed. "I don''t even know your name," I mumbled.


    Nothing like that had ever, ever happened to me before!


    "My parents thought that Cesar was a cute name," he tilted his head to one side, studying me. "I''m sure you''d like to know what has just happened."


    My conscious mind had finally raised its confused head. "Like? I''m dying to finally receive some explanation."


    Cesar smiled. He was too handsome ¡ª and he knew it, too ¡ª and still he didn''t have any of those cool airs and graces. He was open and friendly which immediately won me over.


    "You were possessed by a succubus. Ever heard of them?"


    I felt I was blushing. "Suck-a-what?"


    "Think it''s funny?"


    "Why?"


    He chuckled and ran his fingers through my hair. "If you knew a bit more about them, you wouldn''t be so nonchalant. They are well and truly dangerous. That one was a succubus, a female demon. An incubus is a male and it hunts men in order to possess them. Both suck their prey dry. But the host suffers too. If a succubus uses you long enough, you can become a cripple, both mentally and emotionally. If you think about it, the demon suppresses your personality. So when he or she finally leaves your body, you''re not there anymore ¡ª a mere shadow of what you once were."


    "Please don''t," I shuddered. "Are there many of them around?"


    "Depends on the era. Hey listen, are you sure you''ve never... I mean, it''s all a bit weird. And your eyes..."


    "What now? What''s wrong with my eyes?"


    "Nothing, it''s just when you hit her with that locket of yours, I thought I saw a glint in your eye, very unusual. But if you say-" he took me by the chin and turned my face to him, looking into my eyes. Squinting, he turned my head slightly this way and that.


    "Enough," I removed his hand and crawled away. "What''s wrong?"


    "Had to be my imagination," he murmured. "There''s nothing wrong with you, don''t worry. On the contrary," he paused, considering something. "I''ll only be a moment."


    He walked out. I remembered the strange phrase the girl had said in the bar before she''d kissed me. Actually, it hadn''t been the girl speaking but the demoness whom I''d disembodied by striking her with my locket. I should really pick up the pieces and try to glue it back together later. What had that succubus bitch meant when she spoke? She''d said something about blood. But demons weren''t the same as vampires, were they? If I understood Cesar''s explanations correctly, none of it had to do with blood. She also mentioned a funny word... was it Barbados? No, that''s an island or something, isn''t it? Babas? Sounded a bit like it. Could be a city. Or a name.


    I crouched next to the broken locket. It had split in two from the impact with the demoness'' ethereal head. So much for it being metal! Or could it be that demons'' atomic structure allowed certain objects to affect them? When that succubus bitch had become furious, it looked as if she''d moved to a new, more material level. Could it be that these moments made her more vulnerable to physical exposure?


    Cesar came back. He''d changed his clothes. "Have you thought of some more questions? Would you like to know who I am and how come I know all this stuff?"


    "Er, well, you seem to know a lot about demons. And you managed to trap this succubus creature and free me of her. All these candles and pentagrams... you must be a demon hunter."


    He made a helpless gesture. "Exactly."


    "What?" I jumped up, the sheet sliding off me. "I was only joking! I... I simply ventured a guess."


    "A good guess, then," he grinned.


    "But... how did you find me?"


    He shrugged. "I didn''t. You did."


    "But I''ve never-"


    He raised his hand, motioning me to stop. "You didn''t. But the demon within you was drawn to me. A hunter''s aura has a distinctive footprint, allowing demons to track us. They consider us a better meal than normal people," he suppressed a smirk. "So they seek us out instinctively, without even knowing it. Now I''m going to ask you something that''s very important. What was there in that locket of yours? How exactly did you disembody her? You can''t have been doing it for long. I could see how surprised you were when the demon had left you."


    "Surprised? I''m still in shock from it all. That''s probably why I''m so calm talking to you now, otherwise I''d be screaming and bashing my head against the wall."


    My knees were shaking. I perched myself up on the edge of the bed. "I don''t even know how it all happened. I''ve no idea what I''ve done. The locket was a gift from my Grandma. She gave it to me before her death. I didn''t even know there was something inside it. Just some dry herbs..."


    Cesar shook his head in disbelief. "Tell me about yourself. I need to understand. Where are you from?"


    I gave him the name of the town where I used to live with my mom and stepdad. That is, before I''d moved to NYC.


    "How about your biological father?" Cesar asked.


    "He died a long time ago," I said. "I was seven."


    "Okay. And the locket?"


    "As I said, Gran gave it to me before she died. Mom used to send me to stay with her a lot while she was busy sorting out her life... I mean when she''d met my stepdad."


    "Your grandma was a witch," Cesar announced.


    "No, she wasn''t! She was a herbal doctor, sort of. You know, the kind that treat people in villages."


    "If she wanted you to have the locket, in principle it could mean only one thing: she knew of your ability. She sensed it and wanted to protect you from the succubus. Which means she knew all about them, too."


    "But she never told me about-"


    "I''m not even sure she''d ever heard the words ¡ª succubus and incubus. But I don''t doubt that she knew about the existence of beings of the Dark and knew what they could do to humans. What a shame that she died. I''d have loved to have had a word with her about this locket and the herbs she put in it."


    "Beings of the Dark," I repeated, feeling tired of it all.


    "Exactly. Some call them Beings of the Many Colored Auras."


    "Why?"


    "Well," he paused, thinking, "an experienced hunter can always tell the nature of a demon by the hue of its aura. The lower demons have very basic block-colored auras but the higher ones all have their own hue or shade, about fifty in total. Each element, each branch of magic has its own color. They''re all listed in the Spectrum."


    I placed the broken chain on the bed. "I''ve got to be on my way."


    "Suit yourself. What do you do for a living?"


    "I''m a psychology student... freshman."


    "Do you have a name, freshman?"


    We exchanged glances and laughed.


    "I''m Allison."


    "Nice meeting you, Allison. Oh, and one more thing. I don''t think you were meant to be a psychology student. You may not believe me now, but I have no doubt in my mind you are meant to be a demon hunter."


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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 Part Two. The Seducer - 1

    1


    Good luck to you, girl, I thought as I walked toward the familiar doors. God knows I could use some luck for a change.


    Cesar had never resurfaced. It had been two weeks now: not a phone call, not even a text. Honestly, I''d started to doubt my own memory. Had I even had that weird succubus adventure? And the entire Cesar experience ¡ª could it all have been just my stupid erotic fantasy? Had he ever been in my life, that wretched piece of eye candy?


    Finally, I''d decided to stop all that nonsense. One day after classes I went to see him. I didn''t know the address but I could more or less remember our route.


    So there it was, a Midtown high-rise that supposedly housed Cesar''s apartment and his bedroom, the memory of which had left me sleepless every night. Unable to shake off my fears and doubts, I walked over to the shiny door and pressed the buzzer. Studded with buttons, it was marked with their respective apartment numbers. I listened to the intercom ringing from the speaker above the brand-new panel. No one seemed to answer it. I stepped back and looked up, studying the windows. Had any of it happened at all? What if someone had slipped me a Mickey Finn that night in the club? That could explain the high-res 3D hallucinations.


    The speaker clicked. I darted back to the doors.


    "Who is it?"


    The voice was female, sleepy and not at all young.


    I bit my lip so as not to groan with disappointment. I''d blown it. I must have remembered the wrong address. Or ¡ª could it have been the hallucination scenario? Alternatively, Cesar might have taken me to somebody else''s place. He''d probably lied about it being his home.


    "Hello? Hello?" the old lady''s voice demanded. I didn''t answer: with a sigh, I turned round and walked away. Oh well, so Cesar wasn''t meant to happen.


    The only clue I had left was the strange phrase that the succubus had uttered that night in the club. "Daughter of Barbas"! Before, I''d never given it much thought but now that I had no other leads to go on it kept popping up in my memory.


    I went past a small park and turned into it. Perching myself on a bench, I began thinking.


    Could I make some sense of this meaningless phrase? I wasn''t Barbas'' daughter! I could still remember Dad really well, even though I''d been only seven when he died. His name wasn''t Barbas ¡ª it was Craig. Besides, how would that succubus bitch know anything about Dad? Impossible.


    But what if she hadn''t meant it literally? Maybe it was some kind of poetic license? If you remembered the Bible, it often addressed Jewish women as "the daughters of Israel". Not a daughter but a descendant of sorts. Then this Barbas could be my ¡ª grandfather, maybe? I''d never heard anything about my paternal grandfather. Gran had never spoken about him. Having said that... I wasn''t sure. Mom had never mentioned anything of the kind to me. She was a perfectly normal woman, and so were her own parents. No demonic streak, whether figuratively or otherwise. So it had to be Dad''s parents.


    Actually, why couldn''t I check it? I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Mom''s number. She sounded surprised. Still, she told me all she knew: namely, that my paternal grandfather''s name was Mark. Apparently, Dad didn''t know his own father and all his attempts to find something out met with his mother''s angry resistance.


    How very strange. I definitely was onto something here. I promptly changed the subject to avoid her questions. Then I pretended I had to go to the library and bid Mom a hasty goodbye.


    I got off the bench and indeed went to the library ¡ª where I planted my butt in chair in front of a computer and Googled the weird name. Barbas.


    The first search result sent me to some three-star hotel somewhere in Turkey. Pass. But the second... my blood froze as I read the summary. The rest of the first-page search results led to the same Turkish hotel. Further searches were drowned out in totally irrelevant results and foreign-language pages.


    So I came back to the second search result on the page. It led to a book entitled The Goetia''s Demons. My heart beat faster as I started reading. Barbas was a demon? Did it mean that my dear Gran had had an affair with a man possessed by an incubus? Ouch.


    So suppose she had indeed got pregnant. How in that case would demonic DNA be passed on? If demons had a DNA, of course. Could it be some ethereal substance that could enter a victim''s body with the host''s semen?


    I shut the computer down and stared blindly in front of me. I had demon ancestry. The mind boggles. Then again, how did it show? I''d never noticed anything weird about myself. No extra-sensory perception ¡ª actually, not much perception worth mentioning at all... Or was I simply unaware of it?


    Or was it all a bunch of BS? Only because some girl ¡ª apparently high on something or other ¡ª had mentioned the name of Barbas? Maybe it was the name of the substance she''d used? Or I''d heard it all wrong, in which case there was no Barbas to pursue. I restarted the computer and reread the description.


    Barbas (Marbas) is the third demon according to Weyer''s ranking and fifth according to the Goetia. The Great President of Hell. The above sources depict him as a roaring lion that could take the shape of a human being. He is claimed to be able to reveal to his summoner the truth about concealed objects or others'' secrets. He was considered capable of sending and healing sickness and of bestowing on his summoners wisdom and a knowledge of mechanics. He is the demon to summon in order to change one''s appearance. According to demonology, he governs thirty-six legions of lower demons.


    Yeah right. Was this Goetia a reliable source? How could you even believe all this medieval BS? Having a President of Demons as your granddad was utterly cool, no question about that. But where did that leave me?


    I concentrated. Even if Gran had indeed had a fling with this Barbas, I didn''t see how it could help me to find Cesar. Unfortunately. So even if I believed all this Internet wisdom, I had no way of using it. So I was a demon president''s granddaughter. That didn''t make me different from everybody else. I couldn''t do any of their tricks like breathing fire or traveling between ethereal realms.


    I''d managed to disembody that succubus bitch, I reminded myself. Cesar had said I would make a good demon hunter.


    The very thought made me sick. So even if I found Cesar ¡ª or if he found me as promised ¡ª dammit! He was a hunter and I was demonic offspring! If he ever found out... oh no. Did that mean he and I were enemies? Oh no, please, anything but that.


    So who was I, a demon or a human being? What if Cesar was obliged to disembody me? I actually hoped for exactly the opposite. But it didn''t look as if it was meant to happen.


    It was probably better to consider the entire episode a figment of my imagination. I couldn''t see how it would help me to find Cesar, unless he made good on his word and found me himself. And if I was indeed the granddaughter of a demon... no, I had to stop thinking about that. I was here to complete my education and get a good start in life. Because this was my life and I was the only person who could do something about it. No amount of demon granddads or sex hunters could help me with that.


    Never mind. Time to get on with my life in the big city.


    Soon my psychology studies had taken up a large chunk of my life. Luckily for me, Liz wasn''t the petty type. We''d soon made up and went on with our friendship, even if not harboring any particularly warm feelings. Gordon hadn''t dared to avenge my broom closet stunt... yet. He just gave me a wide berth whenever he saw me.


    I had to make my way through the enormous reading lists and other assignments we''d been given. I also found a waitressing gig in a bar nearby. As a result, I usually stumbled back home at one in the morning ¡ª and I still had all that studying to do before collapsing into bed. This left me no time for any fantasies: the face of my blue-eyed demon hunter was fading fast in my memory.


    * * *


    Later that day, the bar was packed. I was run off my feet serving beer, cocktails and stronger stuff. The more drunken patrons just couldn''t help themselves: their sweaty hands absolutely had to check out my anatomy. Which explains why I slapped yet another hand off my thigh without even looking.


    "Easy! Last time you were nicer with me, babe!"


    His rich voice sounded sarcastic, not offended. I swung round, nearly spilling the beer mugs on the tray. Cesar''s eyes stared at me from under his Indiana-Jones style hat.


    "It''s you," I gasped.


    "It is indeed," he agreed. "Are you busy?"


    "Can''t you see? What do you think you were doing? You said you''d be back; instead, I''d been waiting a whole month."


    "I am back, aren''t I?" Cesar said rather logically. "Quit your job and let''s go."


    "Are you mad? I have another two hours of this!"


    The bartender must have noticed our exchange. He gave me a meaningful nod at the table in the corner patiently awaiting their beers. Then he tapped his own pocket, reminding me of a potential fine. The group at the corner table cast impatient glances my way.


    But Cesar didn''t seem to be used to waiting. He grabbed me by the waist and rose, taking the tray away from me. "If everything works out ¡ª and I believe you can do it ¡ª then you can forget serving beer for the rest of your life."


    "What are you talking about?" I stared at him, quite annoyed. "If I go now, they''ll fire me, pure and simple. D''ya have any idea how hard it is for a student to find a job ¡ª any job? Sorry, man. If you want me to do something for you, then you''ll have to wait till the end of my shift."


    My disappointment grew into anger. So apparently, the reason he''d found me wasn''t because he wanted to see me. He had business to discuss!


    I grabbed the tray and rushed toward the corner table to unload their beers. As I walked back, Caser caught me and drew me close to him. His steel fingers closed around my wrist.


    "It''s in your own interests to come with me now," he said. "Do you remember what I told you when we first met? Now you''ve got the chance to show yourself off. There''s this very wealthy gentleman in need of your services..."


    "Is he really?"


    He was just too much. Apart from the fact that he apparently couldn''t care less about me, he also expected me to kiss with all and sundry? Well, screw you, mister!


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    While thinking so, I stared directly at his chest, bronzed and strong under the shirt''s undone top buttons. It hindered my concentration. I immediately remembered myself touching him. My stare wandered lower. With an enormous stroke of willpower I stopped, reminding myself of the fines threatening all lazy waitresses. Our manager apparently thought them the best motivation tool, making tips melt into total insignificance by the end of the night. Pointless to complain: the line of wannabe student waitresses curled all the way around the block, so to speak.


    The thought cooled me down a little. "Thanks for the offer," I said as politely as I could. "I really liked the last time, but now I need to work, okay? Please let me go now. If you don''t, I''ll have problems... hey! What do you think you''re doing?"


    He pulled the tray from me and slammed it onto an empty table, topping it up with a hundred-dollar bill. Then he elbowed his way through the crowd toward the exit, towing me behind him like a barge. Looking back to check if I was still there, he added. "It''ll be much better for you. Trust me."


    His voice was equal part confidence and ¡ª strangely ¡ª honesty. I almost believed him. He had to be right. It had to be for my own good. A waitress! What was that for a job? I was meant for bigger things, surely.


    So when the guard by the door gave us a scrutinizing look, I said, "It''s all right, Matt."


    "Are you sure?"


    Matt wasn''t known for his manners or his rich vocabulary. He compensated it by his philandering skills and constant hitting on the waitresses. We''d coined him the nickname: Behemoth. He was tall and good-looking with a rather handsome rugged face, so girls didn''t mind his advances that much. The moment I started working there, he set his sights on me and soon attempted to follow up, earning himself a well-deserved slap in the face earlier that day. As he''d been watching me doing my rounds, I could read a mixed expression on his face: a combination of anger and desire to score with me somewhere in the utility room.


    "Well, I''m not so sure," Matt answered his own question, stepping in our way, his wardrobe-like bulk blotting out the light of day. "What kind of business have you got with her, Sir?"


    "Move off," Cesar snapped, looking slightly annoyed. Even though he was fit enough, the guard stood a whole head above him with the weight category to match.


    "Back off, you," Matt shoved Cesar in the chest. "Is it a kidnapping attempt? I think I''m gonna call the cops and let them decide who you are-"


    What happened next happened so quickly that at the time I didn''t notice much. I only remembered the details much later. But it was quick ¡ª quick and hypnotizingly beautiful, like a dance. Cesar''s hand moved in a circular motion, pulling the guard''s hand from his chest. Snapping his shoulder joint as his arm turned in the wrong direction. Cesar was holding his fat hairy wrist, forcing Matt to grovel lower and lower. Without letting go of the guard''s hand, Cesar sidestepped and ended the dance with a punch and a hefty dose of knee.


    His steely fingers closed on my wrist again, pulling me along, as he stepped over Matt who was lying on the floor groaning. The bar became animated.


    "You''ve broken his arm!" I gasped.


    "Dislocated. Big deal," Cesar shrugged.


    It was already dark outside. The streetlights were on. Cars flashed past. I made out the outline of a gorgeous black car by the sidewalk.


    "You''re one hell of a stubborn wild cat, Allie," Cesar said.


    "I don''t want you to call me Allie."


    "Why?" barricading my escape route with his broad back, he peeled off his leather jacket and handed it to me. "Put it on. It''s not so warm anymore."


    The doors of the BMW opened, disgorging two bodyguard types ¡ª the ones whose business suits only make their bodybuilder chests and necks more pronounced. I''ve no idea how men manage to pump up their neck muscles, but apparently it''s possible.


    The two stopped on both sides of us.


    "Who are they?" I mumbled, still under the impression of the quick work he''d made of our poor behemoth Matt.


    "What did I just tell you? A very rich man is in need of your services," Cesar seemed to be losing patience. "Come along now."


    I glanced at the silent giants flanking me. "If he''s so desperate, tell him I''m going to charge him a waitress'' annual wage. Because I pretty much consider myself fired."


    I wrapped myself in his jacket. It was indeed getting cold, and I was standing there in my short skirt and a T-shirt.


    "Get in, please," he said. "I''ll explain everything on the way."


    That was it, I might just as well forget my waitressing gig. I knew a fellow student who''d been fired for much less that going AWOL in the heat of her shift. Cesar wasn''t a complete stranger ¡ª I guess I trusted him enough to get into a car with him. I glanced at the giant bodyguards. If the man he''d been talking about was indeed very rich ¡ª well, he''d have to make it good with me. And I was going to have a serious talk with Cesar about his manners. Never mind. Let''s see what they had to offer.


    One of the bodyguards slid toward the car with remarkable agility, opening the back door. I had nothing else to do but get inside. Cesar followed, reclining comfortably on the soft leather cushions. It all had happened so quickly I couldn''t but feel a bit lost. I tensed up, especially when I remembered I actually had a bit of demonic blood in me. Then again, Cesar seemed to be quite relaxed. He made no attempt to use his esoteric weapons on me so apparently I was human after all. Probably, if I kept my shameful demonic ancestry under wraps, no one would be any the wiser.


    Besides, let''s face it: in my heart of hearts I''d hoped for Cesar to resurface. And now that he finally had, my fantasy had taken a totally unpredictable turn.


    The car drove out onto Broadway and headed south toward Lower Manhattan. Cesar didn''t seem to be in a hurry to offer me a drink or tell me what had caused him to drag me out of my workplace.


    I breathed a disappointed sigh. "So what happened?"


    "This rich guy, let''s call him Robert ¡ª this is his car, by the way ¡ª has a son. Recently, he suffered the same kind of thing that happened to you when we first met."


    "Was he possessed by a succubus?"


    "An incubus."


    "Same difference. Why can''t you exorcise it?"


    He burst out coughing. "Innocence can be cute, I agree, but don''t you think you''re overdoing it? Do you remember what I did the last time?"


    I didn''t have to search my memory long. My breathing sped up.


    "Allison, I want you to concentrate! That''s not what I mean," he sounded annoyed. Still I noticed the mischievous twinkle in his eye. He laid his hand onto my bare knee.


    "What do you mean, then?" I had to try hard not to succumb to the wave of heat that his hand sent running through my body. My heart skipped. Cesar did remember!


    "I want you to concentrate on the succubus. On how it all ended."


    I removed his hand from my knee, trying to concentrate. "I bashed the demon on the head with my charm and it broke."


    "And before that?"


    "And before that you''d spent some quality time kissing me," I snapped back.


    "Exactly," he leaned back on the leather seat. "Now you know what I mean."


    "No, I don''t! You told me I''d exorcised the succubus with Gran''s locket when I smashed it against her head. So what? What''s that got to do with it?"


    He sighed. "The first thing to do is to lure a succubus ¡ª or an incubus ¡ª out of the host''s body. That was exactly what I was doing before you-"


    "We were kissing, weren''t we?"


    "Exactly."


    I stared at him. Then I began to see his point. "You''re saying that-"


    "Precisely."


    "So in order to lure the demon out you need to kiss his, er, host?"


    "You got it."


    "But ¡ª ah, I see now. Today''s client is a man. And you only deal with women."


    "How very observant of you," Cesar sounded pleased. "Our profession calls for clear-cut sexual preferences. Men deal with the succubi while women handle the incubi, the male demons."


    I had so many questions for him but now I was dying to ask just one that seemed the most pressing. "So you''re prepared to make me date some billionaire son I''d never even met?"


    I could swear I heard the sound of suppressed laughter coming from the front seat. I cast an indignant glare at the backs of the two bodyguards'' heads which didn''t change their dead-pan expression.


    Cesar shook his head. " A kiss is all it should take. The hunter doesn''t need to have sex with a client ¡ª ahem, a victim. Otherwise they wouldn''t call it hunting. You know very well what this kind of thing is called. A kiss is well enough."


    "I''ve still a lot to learn about your profession," I mumbled.


    "Your profession," he corrected me. Reaching out, he stroke my cheek with the back of his hand. My body turned to jelly. "You are sex on two legs... a born succubus hunter."


    "Incubus," I corrected him.


    "See? You''re a fast learner," he nodded.


    I needed time to mull it all over, but it was too late. The car was entering the uneven little streets of Greenwich Village.


    "So what do you want me to do? And why me? Don''t you have any established female hunters?"


    "How can I tell you," he faltered. "I want you to meet him first. Then I''ll explain it all to you. We''re here, anyway. Don''t be surprised at anything I say, just smile and play along."


    I had no time to object or backtrack. The car drove straight through a wide gate. I made out a three-story mansion in the lamplight, its first and second-floor windows brightly lit. As we approached, the lights went on on the ground floor. We were expected.


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 Part Two. The Seducer - 2

    2


    Leaving the bodyguards behind, we entered the building. We took the stairs to the second floor and stopped in front of a dark wooden door at the end of a long wide hallway. You could probably ride a horse right through it. Having said that, I don''t think anyone would dare ride a horse on this polished parquet run with red carpets. The hallway''s walls were lined with bronze sculptures on pedestals. I''d never seen anything so opulent in my entire life. Cesar''s luxurious apartment paled into insignificance compared to all this wealth. And once we entered the office...


    You could easily hold a gala dance in it. And if they did have a ball room, you could probably play football in it. Or stage Lady Gaga gigs. I hadn''t noticed the owner of the office at first. He was so far away from us, sitting at his desk by the window on the opposite side of the room.


    You could probably have played golf on his desk. It was green, too.


    Cesar gave me a light push. Mechanically I took a few more steps. Cesar walked past me toward the desk.


    "Hi Robert," he said casually. "This is my girlfriend you wanted to meet. We were actually on our way to Brooklyn to do a few clubs so we decided to pop by for a drink."


    He turned to me, waiting for me to corroborate his story. Shaking off my stupor, I managed rather nicely, "Hi Robert, nice to meet you. I''ve heard so much about you from Cesar."


    I immediately regretted saying it. It looked like I''d put my foot in it: the man''s face, barely visible in the shadows of the desk lamp, had turned to stone.


    "Pleased to meet you," he said in a stiff voice. Was he really? He actually sounded quite prepared to strangle me. Apparently, my casualness was of the wrong kind. Yeah, right, Cesar must have been his longtime family friend while I was only pretending to be his girlfriend. And this Robert, or whatever his name was, seemed to know it. Ah, dammit. I could just as well continue with my little act. They were asking for it.


    Amazed at my own nerve, I walked over to one of the soft chairs next to the enormous desk and slumped into it, sinking into the soft cushions until my knees were at the same level as my head. I slung my legs over the armrest, crossing them. "I''ll have a whisky and soda," I said from the depths of the chair.


    "I''d love to meet your girlfriend too, Cesar," I heard a high boyish voice. A young man rose from the chair next to mine. I very nearly screamed. Damn this furniture, you couldn''t see anyone in it!


    A young man, tall and blond, stepped toward me and studied me openly. I felt like covering up my legs, so uncomfortably he made me feel under that undressing stare. Was he a sex freak or something?


    Oh yes, it had to be him, I thought and gave him a second look.


    "I very nearly thought you''d brought another troll to meet me. Well done, Cesar! Where did you unearth this little gem? May I?" he offered me his hand.


    I laid my fingers in his palm, not quite understanding what he was driving at. The billionaire son (it had to be him if I understood the lay of the land correctly) pulled my hand, forcing me out of the chair. I was back on my feet, feeling naked under his hot gaze, sensing it like you would a touch, so greedily carnal it was. So that''s what a succubus'' victim was supposed to feel! An incubus'' victim, rather. Or... I tried to shield myself from his gaze, sensing my breasts heave faster.


    "Do introduce me to your friend, Cesar," the sultry young man said.


    His father shook off his initial stupor, seemingly having warmed up to me after my initial blunder. He exchanged glances with Cesar. "Would you be so kind as to offer our guests a drink, Arthur," he said. "I''d appreciate it if you could entertain Miss... mmm... while I discuss a few things with Cesar. I count on you."


    Ah, so that was the client''s name, then. Arthur. I tried to keep a safe mental distance while thinking about him. He was quite cute. Not as tall and fit as Cesar ¡ª the boy was slim but his handsome face bore the stamp of aristocratic intelligence. He was about my age ¡ª possibly, slightly older.


    "Absolutely, Father," Arthur replied. "Trust me, she won''t get bored."


    I had a funny feeling things were moving too fast. Way too fast. Not according to plan. What was I supposed to do? Were they going to leave us alone? Were they raving mad? Didn''t they realize that this Arthur was only waiting for his chance to lay me right there and then on that golf course of a desk?


    Luckily, they stayed. I breathed a sigh of relief. While Arthur was pouring a whisky and tonic, I studied him. What stood out immediately was the stark contrast between his demure business clothes, his refined and equally demure face ¡ª and his overbold manners. It was as if a vulgar bully had taken over the body of a mild-mannered young man. But what was I saying? That''s exactly what it was!


    His father reminded me of a snake hypnotizing its quarry. He''d taken Cesar to the window but I could still sense his intense stare. What was he afraid of, really? His sleek gray hair was swept back in a neat helmet, looking as if it were one with his head ¡ª as if it didn''t dare move without its owner''s express orders. How could Cesar even talk to that serpent of a man? The only feeling he aroused in me was the strong desire to talk back and object. This was an authoritarian type who liked everyone to dance to his own tune.


    He was busy discussing something with Cesar. In the meantime, Arthur kept chatting away, his stare devouring me. At some point he casually laid his hand on my back. I moved my shoulder blades, shaking it off, with the vague promise of a swift kick to its owner''s balls in case of repeat offense. It took all of my strength to say it: the incubus'' sex appeal was squashing my brain like a vice, bringing forth the most provocative memories and fantasies. And while I could just about resist by keeping him at a distance, the moment he touched me the remaining shreds of my willpower seemed to disappear. I remembered how it had felt when I was possessed by the succubus; I remembered the men''s will being crushed under my pressure: first the teacher, then Gordon... But still Mr. Wagner had managed to resist me! Not entirely on his own though: it was his briefcase that''d done most of the job. I didn''t think he''d have managed without it.


    Laughing, Arthur emptied his glass, then reached for a refill. "Are you going out? I think I might go with you. Where were you going, Brooklyn? I suggest Soho. I''ve just discovered a great new club there. Cesar, what d''you think?"


    "Out of the question. Allison can''t dance," he glared at my indignant face. It was a good job Arthur had turned away, otherwise he''d have known immediately it was a lie. A blatant lie at that! I could dance and Cesar knew it! We''d met in a club, after all.


    But by the time Arthur turned to me, I''d already pulled myself together and gave a rueful shrug: like, it''s not my fault I can''t dance, sorry.


    The father, looking like the snake of temptation he was, stood by the window, immobile and stern with his arms crossed on his chest. Cesar, on the contrary, walked over to us and stood between me and Arthur. "We''d better go now."


    But it''s so nice and warm here! I felt like I wanted to cry. Won''t they even offer us something to eat? I was hungry as hell as I''d had no chance to even grab a quick snack before Cesar had kidnapped me from work.


    "Sorry, we shouldn''t make our friends wait," Cesar draped his arms around my shoulders and gave me a meaningful look, whispering, "We can''t. The incubus might smell a rat. You should make him wait... warm him up... make him crave you."


    Arthur, however, didn''t look that interested. He probably didn''t like me that much after all. "Okay," he said lightly. "Me, I''m off to the Pyramid."


    His father and Cesar exchanged worried glances. Was it my imagination or did the billionaire give a barely noticeable nod? What were they conspiring about?


    "Thanks for the drinks," Cesar laid his hand over my fingers still clutching the almost-empty tumbler. "Finish it, darling, and let''s go."


    My body was still shaking after the incubus'' touch, betraying my arousal. And still Cesar''s every touch sent warm waves running over my body. It was only thanks to his support I was still comfortable in this rather weird situation.


    I clung to him. I just couldn''t help it.


    "Allison? Are you all right?" he sounded anxious. "What''s wrong with you?"


    "Nothing," I said. "Why would there be something wrong-"


    I panicked, sensing something that felt like a lizard stirring in my stomach, cold and slimy. I doubled with pain.


    "You''re as white as a sheet," Cesar fussed around me. Arthur''s father walked over to me, his face unfathomable even if not exactly pleased.


    I noticed Arthur stare at us in surprise. I think he went pale, too.


    "Have you ever had whisky before?" he asked me.


    "No," I managed. "No, I haven''t."


    My insides were in a knot. I very nearly collapsed but Cesar caught me just in time. My forehead was dripping with sweat. Catching the father''s glare, I croaked, "I''m so sorry. I''ve no idea what it is. I''m sure it''ll pass in a minute. Cesar, would you please-"


    Talk about bad timing! I''d never had problems with alcohol before. My first whisky, big deal. We had to leave those two as soon as possible. Not a good idea for a customer to see me doubled up like that.


    Sincere concern on his face, Arthur was already supporting me from the other side. He was indeed pale and moving his shoulders as if trying to push something ¡ª or someone ¡ª away. Even his eyes were now different, as if the incubus had lost control of him for a brief moment. What was it? Was it possible the demon inside him could sense my pain and respond to it?


    "Father, we can''t let Allison go the way she is. Ask someone to take her to one of the guest rooms."


    "It''s all right, no worry," I protested. "We really need to go."


    But no one seemed to be listening. Arthur''s father must have pressed a button on his golf course of a desk as two girls appeared, wearing chambermaids'' little white aprons. The men handed my unyielding body over to them.


    "You can still go when your friend feels a bit better," I heard the father''s voice behind my back. "If not, you can always stay the night and I''ll ask our family Doc to have a look at her in the morning."


    Cesar looked pretty lost. He mumbled his thanks and hurried to catch up with us, "How are you feeling?" he asked, touching my hand.


    Like a pile of shit. I didn''t tell him that, though. "A bit better. I mean... ouch!" A new bout of pain made me double up.


    As we left the room, Arthur caught up with us too. A new desire burned in his eyes. "I think I might still go to the Pyramid. Take care, Cesar. Allison... see you soon! Maybe sooner than you think."


    He curved his lips in a grin that looked alien on his face, then sashayed for the exit. That''s right. When I''d been possessed by the succubus I couldn''t relate to other people''s feelings, either.


    They took me to a small room on the second floor ¡ª small enough to house a school gym. Joke. It was indeed rather small and cozy: a bed, a wardrobe, a table, a couple of chairs, and a thick soft rug on the floor. A heavy green curtain covered the window. The girls laid me on top of the bed and walked out. Cesar perched himself on the edge of the bed next to me. Arthur''s father stood by the window.


    I sprawled on the bed, weak with stomach ache. What a bummer!


    "Will she be able to work?" Arthur''s father said.


    I was surprised to discover that all concern had left Cesar''s eyes and his voice. He pulled a pillow from under me and shoved it under his elbow, making himself comfortable. "The potion''s effect wears off after thirty minutes," he informed us. "Very soon Allison will be as good as new."


    Potion? Had he spiked my whisky with... you don''t mean it! So it was all a setup?


    "You''d better put her in the picture, then," the old man said, looking even more like the snake of temptation he was. The prospect of me handling his son didn''t seem to please him in the slightest. "If anything happens, Cesar, it''s your responsibility."


    I heard a growing threat in his voice. His glare was boring a hole in me, trying to reach my brain. Despite the fact that I was still wriggling in pain, I sensed I was falling into some kind of stupor.


    "It''s all under control," Cesar answered cheerfully. "I''ll be nearby."


    With one last will-suppressing glare my way, the billionaire snake walked out. I reflected this glare and forwarded it to Cesar hoping it hadn''t lost any of its intensity. Most likely, it looked miserable: I was too wasted.


    "A potion," I hissed. "I''m supposed to work tonight. What the hell is going on in here?"


    That was about all I could manage, but at least I hoped that I''d succeeded in conveying my indignation. They had laced my drink with enough poison to knock me off my feet, and now they expected me to work? What did they think they were doing?


    "Take it easy, babe. I''m gonna tell you everything in a minute," Cesar laid his hand on my shoulder, then jerked it back as I hissed in rage. "Just try to relax. It''ll soon go, I promise. It''s true I slipped something into your whisky but it''s perfectly harmless, trust me. We had to be believable. The incubus was reading your aura. D''you remember how pale he went? And how quickly he pissed off afterward?"


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    I snortled weakly.


    Cesar jumped off the bed and began pacing the room, rubbing his hands. "But he did bite! We''re in luck!"


    "Are you sure I''ll get better soon?" I wheezed, cringing. I didn''t appreciate his excitement. Okay, this was supposed to be my job, and still he could have shown his disappointment with my being kissed by someone else. Even though I was his girlfriend in name only, but you never know...


    I felt so hurt I very nearly pulled the plug on it all. "What if we reschedule the whole thing for tomorrow? Don''t I need to get myself ready? I know nothing about this sort of thing. I''ve never done it before."


    "Ah yes," Cesar suddenly remembered. "When is your birthday? We might just as well set up the scene while the incubus is away chasing skirts."


    Still unsure, I gave him the date. Cesar pulled out his smartphone and typed away a message. "Danny will send us the herbs we need. I''ve seen a few braziers here. Now I want you to listen."


    Very nice. He was already all businesslike as if I wasn''t even there. Never mind my needs, let alone my feelings. "I''m hungry," I said.


    He stared at me in surprise. "You what? Ah yes, of course. Well, if you really are-"


    "Of course I am!" true, I already felt much better. The pain seemed to be going. "You''ve kidnapped me from work. I didn''t have anything since lunchtime, and it''s ten p.m. now, in case you haven''t noticed. And I have quite a few questions to ask you."


    "Okay, but first I need to explain..."


    "Food first," I demanded. "And then you''re going to tell me why this friend of yours seems so unhappy about my being here."


    Cesar stepped into the hallway and exchanged a few words with someone. "They''ll bring you something to eat in a minute," he said, returning to my bedside. I''d already scooped up all the pillows and sat up, leaning against them. My head was perfectly clear. Nothing hurt. My stomach ache was gone.


    "You see," he began, "you have no experience. Robert is worried about his son."


    "So he is, is he?" I mumbled. "It doesn''t look as if he''s capable of worrying about anyone."


    "An incubus feeds on his prey''s sexual energy. That''s the only food he needs. He couldn''t care less about his host''s need for nutrition. So if it takes over his host''s body for long enough, the host risks death by starvation. Did you eat a whole lot when you were possessed?"


    "I can''t even remember."


    "And that''s the second of the dangers I''ve already told you about. The succubi and incubi suppress their host''s personality, causing irreversible changes. When we finally manage to exorcise them, sometimes there''s no personality left at all. A lot of unlucky hosts end up as driveling idiots in a mental hospital. And if a demon moves on promptly, all it leaves behind are various personality disorders, almost always accompanied by certain degrees of amnesia. You''ve been extremely lucky you got rid of your own so soon. Do you understand now why Robert is in a hurry?"


    "Okay. Suppose I believe you. But why me? And how am I supposed to do it?"


    Cesar glanced at his watch. A chambermaid walked in, carrying a tray which she placed in front of me.


    "I need to have a word with someone while you eat," he said just as his cell buzzed. Phone in hand, Cesar walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a plateful of steak and French fries. Without hesitation, I tucked in.


    Cesar walked back in, cheerful beyond belief, his eyes gleaming with energy.


    "We''re in luck," he announced. "Danny was just coming back from the greenhouse when I texted him. So it''s all gonna happen much sooner than I thought."


    "A greenhouse?" I pushed away the empty plate. "Do you want to say your little business is of industrial proportions?"


    I heard a knock at the door.


    "What, already?" Cesar looked surprised.


    The door opened, letting in Arthur in a shimmering gray suit and an acid-blue shirt.


    "You still here?" Cesar sat bolt upright. It looked as if we weren''t the only ones who loved surprises.


    Arthur walked in, his casual manner bordering on loose. "I''ve changed my mind," he announced. "Are you better, Allison?"


    "Much better," I admitted for want of a better thing to say.


    "Excellent," he glanced over me with a predatory expression. I felt the urge to cover myself. But at the same time, my breasts felt hot and heavy, I felt like undoing my bra or even removing my T-shirt. Dammit, that couldn''t be me! I''m not that kind of girl! Jeez, those demons really could manipulate you, couldn''t they?


    "We were just talking about it," Cesar said. "Seeing as Allison is much better, we might be hitting the road in a minute."


    "You shouldn''t disturb her," Arthur bared his excellent teeth in a smile. "She needs some rest." The tip of his tongue traced his lower lip. I felt myself shaking. "I just wanted to make sure if she needed anything."


    "So kind of you," Cesar said through clenched teeth.


    "I think so too. Oh, Cesar, I had the impression on my way here that Father called you."


    "Tell him I''ll be with him in a moment."


    "It''s probably better if you tell him yourself."


    Standing by my bedside, the two kept this exchange going: Arthur with a beaming smile, Cesar barely suppressing a scowl. Neither of them was going to leave the room first. Finally, a tense silence hung in the air.


    "My father''s waiting," Arthur reminded.


    "After you," Cesar was adamant.


    "Very well, then, "Arthur suddenly gave in. "Allison? I''ll pop by to wish you good night later, if you don''t mind."


    "Sure you will," I said without thinking. "I mean, sure I don''t mind."


    Should I maybe flirt with him for real? That would make Cesar quit his pimping act and start paying attention. Didn''t he realize I was a woman too and I had my needs?


    As the billionaire''s son walked out, his final stare literally burned a hole in me. Whew.


    "Hey hey," Cesar shook my shoulder.


    "Yeah?"


    "Don''t. The time hasn''t come yet. We need to hurry. Feeling better?"


    "I suppose so."


    "Get out of bed, then," he waited for me to vacate it and pushed the bed to the window, then lifted the rug from the floor. "We''ve got a job to do."


    I shook my head free of the obsession. Had I really behaved like Arthur just had? God forbid!


    Cesar was busy drawing something on the floor. I took a better look. A pentagram.


    Someone knocked. With a growl, Cesar sprang to the door, yanking it open. The person who stood in the doorway was Arthur''s father.


    "Didn''t he tell you I wanted to see you?" he grumbled as he walked in. He was followed by a bespectacled guy not a day older than twenty-five, wearing a lab coat. He was staggering under the weight of a big canvas bag. What''s that for a nerd?


    "Hi, I''m Danny," he said with a quick furtive glance in my direction. The boy looked embarrassed. He mounted his bag on the table and began unloading thick red candles in glass candlesticks, bronze braziers and bunches of dried herbs.


    "Aura element?" he asked me.


    "Pardon me?"


    "What''s your aura element?" he repeated. I shrugged. What the hell did he mean? My life lately had been generous on nutcases. They all seemed slightly gaga here.


    "She''s Fire, I suppose," Cesar walked over to the table and scooped up the braziers. "Allison, we need your help. Get up and help us place the candles all the way around the pentagram. Danny, have you made her horoscope?"


    "A rough draft, yeah, sort of," the kid hurried to explain. He produced a cellphone and poked at the screen. "You gave me no time to do a proper one. Here, look-"


    Arthur''s father at the window cut him short, "We have little time. Just do your herb thing."


    Danny''s face fell. He put the cell away and turned to his herbs. I admittedly liked him and hated to think he had to work for bullying types like Cesar or that billionaire control freak. Danny might be a very interesting person.


    I walked over to the table. Immediately I recognized many of the herbs from my Gran''s collection. She always had garlands of bunches drying in her kitchen.


    I stood next to Danny watching him work. His face went pink ¡ª he was blushing like a young girl! Cesar joined us. Arthur''s father watched us from the window with his arms crossed on his chest, impassive like an Indian. Actually... he didn''t look as if he was new to it. You could tell it wasn''t the first time he''d watched the procedure. He didn''t even ask any questions. Who was he, then?


    "You can''t kill an incubus but you can disembody it," Cesar commented on Danny''s quick work as he sorted the herbs into several piles. The scents of a summer meadow filled the room. "Do you remember what I did to the succubus that possessed you?"


    "You had some kind of noose..." I remembered.


    "Exactly. Now Danny here is about to make a similar one specially for you, based on your horoscope. You will use it to-"


    "I can''t guarantee the result, though," the kid complained as he perched on a chair. "The herbs haven''t been properly dried."


    His hands moved quickly as he added various herbs to the growing garland, braiding them gently and efficiently like a mother braiding her little girl''s hair. He definitely seemed to enjoy it. As for me, I always had had a penchant for people who loved what they did for a living. I moved closer, looking over his hands. Danny turned red but didn''t lose momentum. A water lily, a liverwort, milkwort, ribwort, hog bean... Obeying a sudden impulse, I rummaged through the pile of herbs for some wild garlic and handed it to Danny,


    "You''ll need this, too."


    "Stay away!" the billionaire snapped from his window. I nearly jumped.


    Cesar raised his hands in a gesture of conciliation. "Robert, wait," he looked at Danny who fiddled with the garlic''s strong-smelling stalk. "What do you think, expert?"


    "Well," he mumbled as if listening to some voice inside him. "If the hunter is indeed a Fire, the garlic might improve the rope''s disembodying properties," he gave me a second look. "Are you a herbalist?"


    "Not at all. I just thought that it might fit," I was already surprised at my unwanted gesture.


    The billionaire shook his head in disapproval.


    "What do you need my horoscope for?" I asked Danny.


    He didn''t play hard to get. "There''re lots of herbs one can use to exorcise a demon. If you use all of them, the noose will be thicker than a ship''s rope. You''d have to be very fit to use it. And as there''re some fair ladies among us..." he cast a shy glance my way. "Also, it was noticed a long time ago that different herbs work differently with different hunters. We did a lot of experimenting, trying all sorts of combinations ¡ª apparently, lots of things can influence the rope''s properties: the hunter''s element, the hue of his or her aura, etc. etc. We discovered that a noose works much better if you tailor-make it not just for a particular demon but also for his hunter. Those that suit the hunter''s character type. In your case," he gave me another furtive glance and handed me the noose, still moist to touch, "here. It should work well. I''ve done my best with it. So, er, good luck."


    "Cut it short," the billionaire snapped. "It''s nearly midnight. Allison, are you ready?"


    "No, I''m not!" I protested. "I''ve no idea what to do!"


    But no one seemed to be listening. Danny scooped up his herbal collection and left, stooping and casting weird glances my way. Cesar pushed the bed back in its place, now encircled by a row of candles and braziers. Arthur''s father lit them all up personally, setting each on fire with his gold lighter.


    Cesar switched off the lights, submerging the room in the crimson glimmer of warm romantic flames. A faint scent swirled in the air.


    "Let it spread around the room a bit," Cesar explained. "Now go back to bed and I''ll explain what you need to do. Don''t worry, I''ll never be too far away," he opened the door to the en suite and closed it. Was he going to spy on us?


    The billionaire stuck out his fat finger, pointing at me. "And if anything happens to Arthur..."


    He wasn''t trying to be funny. His voice was filled with a very real, palpable threat. I shivered under the covers. Things were getting real serious.


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 Part Two. The Seducer - 3

    3


    "Don''t panic, girl," Cesar said by way of consolation. "Practice is the best teacher."


    I managed a weak snort. Easier said than done! He wasn''t the clueless one about to face a demon for the first time. Oh yes, they had indeed explained a few things to me but it all had happened in a rush as midnight was approaching and everybody was afraid that Arthur might return soon. So what? It was past one in the morning already ¡ª and still no sign of the incubus.


    "Just relax," Cesar repeated for the umpteenth time. The door to the en suite was left ajar, letting in a streak of light that weakened the flickering of the candles.


    "Stop saying that! Just tell me once again what I need to do," I lay in bed fully clothed, covering my bare legs with the corner of a quilt. I''d asked them about some sexy underwear and stuff, but both men had hushed me up, saying something about the demons'' love for all things natural and adding that we didn''t have enough time to do the shopping, anyway. They''d allowed me to take a quick shower, though. Now Cesar sat on a chair by the en suite door, ready to switch off the light at a moment''s notice, while I lounged in bed practicing various poses I believed to be sexy.


    "There are two types of demons, warm and cold," Cesar went on. "Four elements: earth, fire, air and water. I hope you don''t mind me telling you this over and over again because no one gets it right the first time. Fire and earth are warm elements, air and water are cold."


    "What''s there not to understand?" I asked.


    "The thing is, female demons are always either water or earth. Which means a succubus can be either warm or cold. Which makes incubi either fire or air respectively: that is to say, also warm or cold."


    "Now wait," I started counting. "Female are water and air..."


    "Earth."


    "Yes, earth, sorry. But I don''t need to know about the female ones, do I? What if I only study the incubi for now? They can be either fire or air, right? The former warm, the latter cold. In order to exorcise the warm ones you need warm herbs, and vice versa?"


    "Quite the opposite. The demons of fire love warm fumes. They enjoy them like you would enjoy a warm bath."


    "But why all these braziers, then? Won''t he enjoy them? I can barely breathe with all the smoke. It gets into my eyes!"


    "Don''t jump the gun. Haven''t you noticed all the other herbs surrounding the pentagram?"


    I giggled as I thought about Danny with his ass stuck out when he''d shoved his dried bunches under the rug. "Those were the cold herbs? Because you wanted to be sure you catch the demon even when you don''t have time to determine his nature?"


    "You don''t hang around, do you?" Cesar sounded pleased. "Yes, it''s quite common for a hunter to act without due preparation. That''s why we need to have a full set of herbs on us at all times. Didn''t you see all those bunches in my apartment? Hanging under the ceiling drying?"


    "I did. Actually, I''ve been meaning to ask you. When you took me to your place, everything was ready for action there. Does that mean you have to keep all those braziers and things burning twenty-four-seven?"


    "Is that what you thought?" he sounded surprised. "No, of course not. I only light them before I go out hunting. You didn''t think I just happened to be in that bar enjoying a drink, did you? Oh, no. I was on the lookout for succubi. That''s what we do when we don''t have any customers, check clubs and bars for any trespassers."


    "Some job you''ve got. But how about the weapons? The noose and the dart?"


    Cesar nodded and reached out to rearrange the covers on my bare knees. "Exactly. The noose is for the warm demons as it''s made with dry, cold herbs. The dart for the cold ones, as it''s made with warm wood which was soaked in hot herbal extracts. The brazier fumes and the herbs that line the pentagram lock the demon within, not letting him or her escape the hunter. And the touch of herbal essences in the noose or the dart disembodies them."


    "As in kills them?"


    "Well, how can I say it... we don''t really know. One theory claims that disembodied demons don''t disappear but rather reduce themselves to a lower energy form. And after that, they can leak back into their own dimension."


    "You want to say they precipitate."


    He suppressed a smile. "You could say that. What''s important is that they never come back to our world."


    "But can they come back, theoretically? In order to... to wreak their revenge?"


    "No good you thinking about that."


    "What am I supposed to think about, then? I''d rather you went through the whole shebang once again. I tend to forget things when I''m nervous. Are you sure he can''t see the en suite light through the window? What if that''s why he''s not coming?"


    "Concentrate," once again Cesar began unbending his fingers, explaining nothing this time, only going over the main points. "First you need to buy you some time to allow the herbs to build up a good concentration of essential oils in the air. Secondly..."


    I listened intently while focusing on the silence in the hallway. Soon the sound of footsteps would echo through it ¡ª the sound I feared so much and yet couldn''t wait to hear. "My head is spinning with all the smoke," I said.


    "Just don''t think about it. The most important thing is your kissing him. That''s how the demon sucks sexual energy out of a human. Think you remember? Should I show you again?"


    "Please don''t!" My lips were already numb with kissing. I didn''t think I''d be able to enjoy kissing any more. I''d been unable to concentrate on what I was feeling as Cesar kept pulling himself away, critical of my actions, just when I was getting into it. You''re doing it too fast; don''t stick your tongue out; don''t curve your lips; too soft; too hard; keep your mouth closed; keep your mouth open... That wasn''t the way to treat your student! All work and no play ¡ª not even a sincere kiss. Having said that, when both Cesar and I''d finally thought I got it, he''d given me one final kiss, and it was like, mmm, too good to be true.


    How had I managed to allow Cesar to drag me into all this? He was utterly cool, no doubt about it, but still. The thought scared me. And did I detect a shiver of anticipation running through my body? I''d have given anything to just make him stay with me a little longer.


    "Keep the noose under your pillow," Cesar kept instructing me, "so that you can easily reach it. Don''t forget that all incubi are ugly as hell so don''t be too scared when it comes out. Demons can''t cling well to the host body when excited so getting them out is a piece of cake. The most difficult part begins once they''re already out."


    "Can they hurt the hunter?"


    "You shouldn''t think about that."


    "You mean he can hurt me?"


    "Focus just on pulling him out. I''ll take care of the rest. If he keeps Arthur as a host for a few more days..."


    "And what if he''s not coming because he can sense you here?"


    "He''s too fixated on your aura to notice mine," still, Cesar reached for the switch and turned the light off. "I think you need another kiss," he walked over to the bed. "He''ll sense your arousal like a cook senses the smell of a pie baking in the oven."


    I felt his warm hand sliding down my chest and kicked the darkness. "Don''t get anywhere near me! I''m too wound up as it is."


    Having adapted to the change in lighting, my eyes could now discern Cesar''s outline skulking toward the en suite door in the flickering of the candles.


    Then I heard footsteps outside. Cesar gestured his encouragement before disappearing inside the en suite. I sprawled out on the bed, repeating his instructions. Have a chat first. A bit of flirting. By no means let him jump on me at once, but also not resist too hard as it drives demons up the wall, making them unpredictable.


    The footsteps died out by the door. Had he opened it? I couldn''t hear a thing. There was no light coming from the hallway of this deceptively sleepy house. Actually, some of its inhabitants could be sleeping, I thought with a sudden bout of envy. They didn''t have to worry about a visitation from an angry and unpredictable demon.


    A dark outline stepped out of the shadows by the wall, walking into the circle of candles. My mind rushed. Kissing him was the most important thing. I had to kiss him. When the demon''s forked tongue materialized in our reality, I had to feel for it and pull it out with my own tongue, simultaneously shrinking back. That would force the incubus out of the host''s body. The pentagram concealed under the rug, the braziers and the candles lining it would create a protective circuit, not allowing the demon to escape back into his dimension. Then, not giving him time to come to his senses, I had to throw the noose around his neck and pull it tight. Enter Cesar, all so cool and fearless, who helps me to strangle the demon. We disembody the creature together ¡ª eh voila! We''re victorious!


    I squeezed my eyes shut and visualized the entire process the way they teach you at various self-help seminars. The mental movie ended too quickly, forcing me to open my eyes to the sound of soft footsteps and loud breathing.


    Arthur was draped in a cloak. I blinked, but the illusion didn''t go. The opalescent fabric hugged his shoulders, shrouding his wasted frame.


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    "Are you any better?" I heard.


    "Much better... But I think I''ll stay in bed for a while," I said in my best weak voice while sliding my hand under the pillow to check on the noose. It was there, grassy and still damp.


    "Sure," Arthur chuckled as he approached, bending over me. "Mind if I sit with you for a bit?"


    He was wearing jeans and the same acid-blue shirt he''d had on earlier. No jacket ¡ª he must have left it upstairs. I reached out ¡ª no, he wasn''t wearing any cloak. Why would he? Just an optical illusion caused by the flickering candles and the layers of smoke from the braziers.


    "Suit yourself," I moved off ever so slightly, allowing him to perch on the edge of the bed so that our bodies touched.


    "What''s with all these rituals?" he nodded at the candles on the floor. "Were you and Cesar up to something? Hope I didn''t interrupt anything? Where is he, by the way?"


    Oh, we''d come up with a perfectly good answer to this question. "He''s out with your dad," I complained weakly. "He needs Cesar''s help with something or other. I''ve done the room up so nicely for a quiet romantic evening and he''s not even here! Does this happen often? What kind of business could he possibly have with your dad?"


    Arthur touched my forehead with a finger, slowly tracing my nose, my lips, my chin. "Never bothered to ask them," he smiled. "They lock themselves in that cellar or in the conservatory and they talk and talk for hours. Boring. I''d rather you tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do?" his finger slid down my neck, then my chest.


    "Oh," I groaned involuntarily.


    "You don''t like it?" he asked, his eyes laughing.


    "On the contrary," I mumbled, embarrassed, trying to breathe faster. How was I supposed to know what demons liked? What would they want you to do? How could I find that out? "I study at City College. And I work as a waitress... at least I did until tonight," I paused, remembering the reason for my quitting the job. Better not tell Arthur about that ¡ª okay, not Arthur but the incubus inside him.


    "Would you like me to replace him?"


    "Depends on what you mean by that."


    His finger stopped at the neckline of my T-shirt and began tracing it thoughtfully, leaving a warm glow behind. I could almost see a trail of sparks left on my upper chest. What a shame Gran''s locket was broken! Its fragments were now stuffed in my desk drawer of my campus room. Why had Gran given it to me actually?


    The thought was unexpected but familiar: I''d asked myself the same thing quite a few times before. Had she known something about me?


    Bid for time, Cesar had said, but by now his words began to fade into the crimson haze enveloping my brain.


    I couldn''t think straight. A fire was building up inside my body. My skin grew incredibly sensitive, making me shiver under his soft touch. No guy had ever made me feel anything like this! Was it because he was an incubus?


    "I''d suggest a pillow fight but I don''t think you''d like that," I said, trying to cool down. Inconspicuously I slid my hand under the pillow again. The touch of the cool grass braid cleared my head a little. Excellent. This could help me to keep my mind in check.


    Arthur threw his head back, laughing cheerfully like a boy. Then he bent over me, his eyes laughing. "I can think of something better than that."


    He was very young ¡ª same age as me probably, virtually a boy. It had to be the demon inside him that made him look older and more experienced. I lay with my arm thrown behind my head, my hand under the pillow keeping contact with the noose. Arthur took my other hand and raised it over my head, too.


    Even through all the covers I could feel the heat emitting from him. I was boiling. Dammit, Allison, you shouldn''t give in! I bit my lip. This wasn''t real! This was only incubi magic! You have to stay calm. You have to kiss him.


    I tried to look into his eyes. With Cesar''s instructions still fresh in my memory, all I needed to do was wait for our lips to touch. And that wasn''t going to take long, by the looks of it.


    He ran his hands up my arms, burning them, stooping lower over me. His fingers clenched my wrists. Suddenly his face was above mine. His lips parted, showing the tip of his tongue. Unable to fight it off any longer, I closed my eyes and leaned toward him. He was so excruciatingly hot.


    "You''re on fire too, babe," he whispered in my ear, his cheek brushing my lips. I groaned in disappointment. Wrong place! He''d missed my lips!


    But he seemed to have a plan, too. He ran the tip of his tongue around my earlobe, tickling me behind the ear. "Just relax, babe. I''ll take care of it all. I want you to forget everything, babe," he repeated like a spell.


    In one unperceivable motion, he straddled me, his tongue still tracing my ear, my neck, the outline of my lips. I groaned; I couldn''t help it. What did he think he was doing? I wasn''t going to last much longer! I could barely breathe: the braziers surely must have done their work by now.


    Arching my body under his, I reached for him with my mouth, parting my lips. I was going to kiss him the way Cesar had taught me. I just hoped his forked incubi tongue wouldn''t scare me witless ¡ª if I could feel anything at all in this aroused state, that is. And fear ¡ª I was scared out of my mind. What if the creature was not just ugly but some kind of horror-film monster, what was going to happen then? Would I still be able to catch it with the noose?


    "Slow down, babe," Arthur squeezed me with his hips, collapsing on top of me. I groaned again. I didn''t care about disembodying him anymore. All I could think of was my own desire.


    "Wait," he said as if answering my inner call. His fingers reached under the pillow, laced in mine and pulled something out gently. The noose. No!


    In a swift motion, he wrapped the noose tight around my wrists, tying it to the bedrest. I lay there strapped. What was he doing? What was I gonna do? Help!


    I really can''t tell you whether his tongue was forked or not. Honestly, I wasn''t in a position to tell anything at all. I''d forgotten all about Cesar ¡ª actually, I think I''d forgotten about him earlier ¡ª as I threw everything out of my mind, giving in to the ecstasy. I''d never, ever felt so good in my life. Arthur seemed to know all my sensitive spots, his hot strong tongue reaching me in exactly the right places, making me groan and shriek as I arched toward him. At moments I had this sensation as if his tongue was actually a flame of fire but it didn''t burn me. His hands seemed to leave a trail of sparks on my body. I squeezed my eyes shut but I could see everything with my inner vision, like the dance of some fiery silhouettes on the bed amid the glimmer of the candles.


    Arthur was drinking my skin as if collecting something from it. The ecstasy of his touch had gradually disappeared in a mental haze as I was losing control, growing weaker. I didn''t remember the exact moment I''d passed out.


    I woke up with the feeling of somebody watching me. I struggled to move. It felt like slow motion. Whatever had happened to me? My whole body was heavy, my hands like slabs of stone as if I''d spent all day yesterday doing heavy labor.


    Finally I managed to focus ¡ª and suppressed a shriek. A very angry Cesar hovered over me.


    "You scared me! Where''s Arthur?"


    Cesar undid my bounds and took a moment to massage my wrists. I knew of course I was supposed to feel guilty but I was too weak to care. Yes, so I failed my mission.


    "How could you have allowed him to do this to you? Are you a masochist or something?"


    I knew I had to be ashamed of myself but I was too tired. Instead, I felt offended. "Do I look like one?"


    My eyelids felt heavy. Suddenly I was terribly sleepy.


    "No. You''re just too much into kissing and stuff."


    "So what if I am?" I yawned, feeling too weak to cover my mouth. "What difference does it make?"


    "Huge difference!" Cesar snapped, furious. "They obey your desires!"


    "Why the hell didn''t you tell me?" I couldn''t keep my eyes open. I rested my head on the pillow and stared at him, trying to stay awake.


    "I thought you knew that! Everybody knows that!"


    "Well, I didn''t. So what happened?"


    "What do you think? You''ve slept with an incubus and he''s soaked up your energy!" Cesar grabbed at his head. "How am I going to explain this to Robert?"


    "Soaked up my energy?" I repeated through my slumber.


    "Demons don''t do it for their own pleasure. They feed on your released sexual energy. And judging by the groans I heard, tonight he''s had one hell of a meal."


    Okay, so he was right. I''d blown it. And still it had felt so good.


    Which was my last thought before I passed out.


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 Part Two. The Seducer - 4

    4


    When I woke up, the sun was peeking in through the curtains. I wanted to turn round to see how high it was in the sky ¡ª but I couldn''t. And I had no idea of the time. My body was so stiff ¡ª it felt as if I''d nearly been clubbed to death. So! You shouldn''t really envy a demon''s victim if it made you feel like you''d been steamrolled. I could think of better ways to spend my time.


    The thought brought back memories... and the memories made every bit of my body sing, enveloping it in a pleasant warm feeling. I''d spoken too soon, apparently: these kinds of kisses were worth convalescing for the next two weeks if necessary. Because I didn''t think I''d be able to get out of bed before that. I was wasted. As in, totally. Lounging under the warm quilt ¡ª it must have been Cesar who''d covered me ¡ª I thought of myself as a pile of discarded clothes. I wasn''t sure if I''d be able to make it to the bathroom.


    Cesar! What would he think about me? Suddenly all the embarrassment of the situation came back to me. An amateur demon hunter who''d failed her very first assignment brilliantly, allowing the incubus to have his way with her and escape. Now I was lying in bed in the customer''s house, unable to move, let alone get out of there. So what''s gonna happen next? They must have already fired me at my bar gig. They wouldn¡¯t expel me from college though, why would they? Unless this stinking rich sugar daddy decided to get square with me by... what did rich people do in such cases, send a hired killer to take you out? Not good.


    Bullshit. This wasn''t the Wild West, after all. But the thought forced me to take action. Broken and hurting, I realized the full extent of my defenselessness in this strange big city. Where was Cesar? Where was everyone? How many people were there in this place? I couldn''t hear a sound. The place seemed dead, apart from a monotonous knocking sound behind the window. Where they making a coffin for me?


    This incubus encounter had definitely affected my mental state. I forced my head from the pillow and struggled to sit up. I was so weak my hands shook. Still, I clambered out of bed and toward the en suite, grasping at the walls. Discovering a toothbrush still in its wrapper on the washbasin, I splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth. The cool water helped my train of thought somewhat. No need to freak out. Nobody could do anything to me here. Me, however, there was a whole lot I could do. I could walk out of this room and find Cesar ¡ª or this Robert friend of his, even though he was the last person I wanted to see. No, wrong: the last person I wished to see was Arthur. I had no idea how to behave with him anymore. Should I pretend that nothing had happened? Or were we supposed to be best friends and all that?


    I had a splitting headache. My legs refused to carry me. I collapsed onto the bed and sat there for a while, getting used to gravity which somehow seemed to have increased since yesterday. I heaved a sigh, forced myself to my feet and repeated my wall-grasping exercise to get out of the room.


    The hallway was empty. Something died inside of me. Somehow I''d thought Cesar would be there, sleeping on the floor in the doorway guarding me. Or that he''d at least be sitting in a soft chair in the small hall opposite. Could it be that my failure had disappointed him? He probably valued professional relationships higher than personal ones. Then in order to earn his respect I''d have to prove myself as an expert.


    I dragged my feet toward the chair and collapsed into it, catching my breath. Then I carried on. Every new step seemed a little easier. I was still advancing with all the pace of a fly in a honeypot, but at least the church bells in my head had stopped tolling.


    Finally I came to the staircase. With a sigh, I braved myself to take the steps. Here you couldn''t see the sun as the windows faced the other way, but judging by the light, it had to be at least midday. Possibly, afternoon. Of which day? a thought struck me. Was it still tomorrow ¡ª I mean, had I slept through the night or the next day as well? That wouldn''t surprise me.


    I reached the second-floor landing and leaned against the wall, catching my breath. I thought I heard voices down the long hallway, probably coming from the office. Oh-kay. I stumbled through the archway and headed toward the sound. I just had to sort the whole thing out. I didn''t want to stay in the house forever like some amateur ghost, hiding in the broom closet at daytime and only coming out at night to rummage through the fridge.


    The office door was of a dark wood ¡ª apparently, very expensive (or maybe not, it''s a good job I know nothing about these things). I could hear what sounded like a heated argument. I knew the voices. I psyched myself up, pushed the door open and stepped in.


    You''d think those two had indeed seen a ghost by the way they stared at me. Could it be that the incubus had indeed soaked up all of my energy and I''d died? Maybe I was the only one who didn''t realize I was already dead? I didn''t like the thought at all.


    Silence followed me on my way to that golf-course of a desk. I glanced at the papers the two were studying. Some weird drawings littered the desk: weird shapes and swirls, circles and straight lines. One of the drawings looked familiar. I''d definitely seen it somewhere before, but where?


    None of them spoke. Very well, then. If neither of you was capable of greeting a lady first, I had to do it.


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    Cesar didn''t give me a chance. He jumped from his seat and led me toward a soft chair, supporting me by the elbow. "Why did you get up? You should take your time and recover."


    Arthur''s father''s eyes were burning a hole in me. It was a miracle I wasn''t smoking yet. He was probably thinking of a polite way of saying, "Get the fuck out, you bitch!"


    Cesar turned to him. "Allison needs something to eat."


    Stonelike, the man knitted his eyebrows. "What she needs is a good lashing," he dropped. "I did tell you, didn''t I-"


    "You shouldn''t have hurried things," Cesar butted in as if resuming their argument ¡ª probably not the first one. "Next time we''ve got to spend more time on preparation."


    "There''ll be no next time!" the man snapped. "I''m not putting my son''s health and probably life at risk using this... this..."


    Cesar raised a warning hand. I snorted, thinking of a good retort. All of this had been their idea. They''d dragged me into this, right into his beloved pervert son''s arms.


    No one had a chance to say anything. Which was probably for the better as I was about to tell them everything I thought about them in as many f-words. The door opened without a knock. Arthur sashayed in, looking so radiant that his beaming smile seemed to spark. Talk of the devil. Bursting with my energy, the bastard. While I hadn''t had a bite to eat yet ¡ª not that anyone had offered one to me.


    "Oh, hi there!"


    His father was the first to come round. "Why aren''t you at college?"


    "Boring," Arthur faked a yawn. Half-dancing toward me, he took my hand, bringing it to his lips. "Hi, Allison. You okay?"


    Son of a bitch! I had a lot to tell him, too, but his laughing gaze stopped the words in my mouth. His soft hand sent a wave of warmth through my body. I felt stronger. "I''m okay."


    "Is that it?"


    He didn''t even look at the other two men as if they weren''t even there. What a cheeky demon! Where had Arthur managed to contract him, I''d love to know. Or was it the demon who''d contracted him?


    "Did you enjoy my attempt at entertaining you while Cesar was out?" he cast Cesar a fleeting glance full of contempt and the sense of his own superiority. Cesar screwed his eyes up.


    I couldn''t believe it! Apparently, demons didn''t give a damn about propriety. No normal guy, even a billionaire''s son, would dare to say anything of the kind in the presence of his own father and the girl''s boyfriend. Apparently, incubi couldn''t care less about human conventions. They just spoke their minds.


    "It''s all right," I said, faking indifference. "Nothing special."


    Arthur''s eyebrows sprang up. "Nothing special?"


    I could hear disappointment in his voice, disbelief and even a hint of a threat. You hadn''t expected that, had you? Excellent. What if I tried to turn you on for a change?


    I could see Cesar and Arthur''s father exchange glances behind Arthur''s back.


    "Yeah, it was fine, you know, it''s just that something was missing," I said, mocking the demon''s loose unembarrassed manner. "Not to worry. When you grow up a little... you might well turn into another Cesar."


    He was still holding my hand. When I said that, he squeezed my fingers so hard I struggled not to cry out. His exquisitely handsome face turned pale.


    "I''ll see you around," he turned away and walked out the door, his gray eyes angry and pensive.


    When the door had closed behind him, the other two took me to task.


    "Are you raving mad? You should never anger a demon!"


    "Enough!" I too had the right to be angry. "I''m fed up with your nonsense! Where''s the kitchen? I''ll have my breakfast and I''ll leave. You can sort out your own mess."


    "As you wish," Arthur''s father sat at his desk and lifted the receiver of a state-of-the-art telephone styled as an early-1920s vintage model. "I didn''t like the idea to begin with. A demon hunter! You''re a joke. I''m calling Bettina now, Cesar. She should be back from Australia today. You''ll have to bring her here so I want you to be around for a while. And please make sure I never see this girl again. I don''t think either of us is particularly happy."


    With a warning glance his way, Cesar offered me his hand. "Come along, I''ll take you to the kitchen. Robert, we''ll talk about it later."


    "I''ll send a car to the service entrance," he replied.


    I staggered. This squabble had drained me of my last strength. I was a joke? Well, I''d seen enough of the billionaires to last me a lifetime. I''d be damned if I stayed there a minute longer.


    Seeing my state, Cesar lifted me in his arms and carried me out. "Allison is our only hope," he quipped over his shoulder. "You''ll see."


    But Arthur''s father was already on the phone. He didn''t even acknowledge hearing him.


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 Part Two. The Seducer - 5

    5


    At least they had enough decency to let me have my breakfast. A very gloomy Cesar carried me downstairs into the kitchen to meet a flamboyant Monsieur G¨¦rard. He doted over me, offering me this and that so fast I couldn''t see his hands move. His every turn looked like a well-rehearsed dance. After a brief succession of these, he presented me with a pumpkin pie in a fancy caramel net which tasted gorgeous. Then Monsieur G¨¦rard offered me what he''d called mousse de veau haute cuisine which was basically a fluffy meaty froth on slices of toast. I know it sounds weird ¡ª it did look weird, too, but it was just too good for words. While I was wolfing it down, Monsieur G¨¦rard also made an omelet ¡ª and someone must have eaten it too, even though Cesar hadn''t touched a thing. Weird.


    Then I prostrated myself in the limo, my head resting in Cesar''s lap. Nothing erotic ¡ª I just couldn''t keep it on my shoulders any longer. As we were driven home, I nodded off to his unhappy grumbling. You could tell he was angry with his billionaire friend.


    I was torn by conflicting emotions. On one hand, I was so fed up with Robert and his haughty ways, I was happy to have finally gotten rid of him. No idea how Cesar managed to work with him. On the other, I did feel a bit let down. My career as a demon hunter had finished before it had even begun. And I''d already started dreaming about a small but inviting office with my name on a stylish door sign and a male gay assistant, shy but capable, who''d offer me coffee in the mornings and share the latest gossip while we awaited the first client to come through the door. How to go about finding those clients, I had no idea yet. Should I advertise in the papers maybe, then wait for phone calls from anxious relatives concerned about their family member''s weird behavior?


    None of it mattered any more. And the worst thing was, I''d never have to work with Cesar again. It had all ended before it even began.


    "Who''s Bettina?" I asked him.


    "A peroxide bitch. You don''t know her. Which is good for you: she''s a real pain. But she''s one hell of a hunter. What a shame it went the way it did. So stupid of me. Who would have thought that Arthur would get hold of the noose? It''s perfectly harmless for both the host and the incubus while he''s still inside. It''s my fault. I should have thought about it!"


    He punched the back of the front seat. The bodyguard turned round with an unhappy expression. Cesar waved him away.


    "Doesn''t matter," I yawned. "Can you take me to the campus? I''ll give you the address."


    "No need to. I spent a lot of time looking for you. I know your address, school ¡ª everything. Or did you really think I just happened to stumble across you in that bar?"


    "Don''t remind me," I winced. "I suppose, it''s back to job hunting for me now."


    "I''ll talk to Robert. He and his money don''t part ways easily. But I might get him to pay you a small compensation fee."


    "What, that Scrooge? Don''t make me laugh. He''d sooner swallow a frog ¡ª especially if it''s cooked by his Frenchie chef. As far as I''m concerned, he can stuff his money where the sun don''t shine. Shame about Arthur, though."


    Cesar stroked my cheek. His touch stirred nothing inside me. Either I was still too exhausted or he didn''t mean anything.


    "Arthur is a good guy. Trust me. He''s not one of those spoiled daddy''s boys. He''s not at all arrogant. If the incubus messes his head up, it''s going to be a real shame. And I have this funny feeling that you''re the only person who can save him. You can call it intuition if you want. I can sense some real potential in you. "


    "Great potential, yeah ¡ª and not a drop of experience. Which, as we had the chance to discover last night, is paramount," I didn''t want to talk about it any longer. "That''s it, Cesar. Thanks for the lift. It was great seeing you. Shame I didn''t make a great hunter but that''s the way things go, I suppose. And for the future ¡ª please leave me alone, okay? I''ve had enough of all this supernatural bullshit. My life is good enough without it. Deal?"


    He shook his head but didn''t say a thing. I lifted my head from his knees. It was a good job I was tired: this way the disappointment didn''t hurt as much. He hadn''t said, Don''t worry, I''ll look you up, or Our job is finished but our friendship isn''t, or any such thing. My job was over, and he just didn''t care. Which meant I had to do something about it, otherwise we''d never see each other again.


    I tried to ignore my disappointment but unfortunately, I did care. Deep in my heart I did hope he''d have promised to stay in touch ¡ª at least to tell me how it all ended.


    The BMW stopped by the Hamilton Heights building. I clambered out and shook Cesar''s strong hand, avoiding his kiss. The BMW pulled out just as I turned my back to it. I could hear Cesar''s cellphone ring: he was already on his way to fetch Bettina the Peroxide Bitch.


    Back in my room, I tried to forget everything that had happened. It couldn''t be undone and now it was well and truly over. I had this nasty feeling as if they''d just used and discarded me when they didn''t need me anymore. Oh well, one of those things. If you took everything to heart, it wouldn''t last you long.


    I realized of course that it was the bravado in me speaking more than anything else. Still, I knew a perfect remedy for it so I got busy cleaning.


    The first thing I found when I yanked my overflowing desk drawer open was Gran''s broken locket. I''d forgotten all about it.


    Its both parts seemed to be in one piece. The only thing broken was the lock and its little spring. I turned it around in my hands, looking for more damage. Surely I could repair it?


    The fancy design engraved on the locket''s top caught my eye. I''d never really looked at it properly. And fancy it was... weird even. You''d think it would be some hearts entwined with roses, right? But this one was rather abstract: a combination of circles, twirls and straight lines. I had a funny feeling I''d even seen them somewhere ¡ª quite recently, too. But where?


    I had to have it repaired. Admittedly I missed it. I''d been wearing it all those years without ever removing it. I sensed it around my neck like I''d sense Gran''s warm gaze full of support and approval. And support was something I really needed now.


    I sighed and slid the locket into my pocket. This was it still felt like part of me. That was settled, then: I''d carry it on me until I found someone who could repair it. Although that was a small consolation.


    I returned to my cleaning.


    I polished the place inside and out, took the garbage out, washed every cup and wine glass and moved on to my studies. Math went fine; but when I began reading Freud, I broke down. Freud, of all people! I remembered the noose around my wrists. Good job I didn''t have to read Dr. Masoch!


    The view in the window was getting darker by the minute. Liz would be back soon. I was just about to cook something ¡ª for the third time that afternoon, apparently to restore all the lost energy ¡ª when my phone rang.


    Cesar sounded triumphant. "I just knew it! The things Arthur told Bettina, you wouldn''t believe! The poor bitch very nearly quit on the spot! You should have heard the things she and Robert told each other! Come on, get ready now. We''ll do a bit more preparation this time."


    "Can''t see why you''re celebrating," I said. "I thought you liked Arthur. I thought you wanted to help him too."


    "Of course I do! Which is why I''m calling you," he didn''t sound very sure.


    "Then I suggest you tell Robert to be nicer with Bettina seeing as she''s his boy''s last chance," I hung up.


    After a pause, I turned off the phone completely. I''d had enough of their manipulating me. Sure I was happy to hear from Cesar but at the moment, I had more important things to tackle.


    Nothing could stop them from coming here, I realized. Yesterday in the bar, Cesar hadn''t counted on his persuasive skills alone, either. He''d had a couple of well-trained goons with him. So if they really wanted to get me... his Robert must be not only rich but also influential. He could be a mafia boss for all I knew. They wouldn''t even ask my opinion: they''d just kidnap me. But that we were yet to see. By the time they got here from Lower Manhattan, there''d be no one left here to kidnap.


    I began packing to make sure I was prepared for any eventuality. Then I sat down and watched the sky getting dark. A couple of hours later, I switched my phone back on. It rang almost immediately.


    "Where are you?" Cesar sounded angry and worried. Was it strictly professional or did he really care? "I''ve been looking everywhere for you. Your roommates say they didn''t see you. Your phone is off..."


    "Sorry, but I''ll only speak to Robert. We need to discuss my terms."


    "What terms? You think he''d-"


    I hung up as I remembered something I''d seen in spy thrillers: that a phone was impossible to trace provided the conversation lasted under thirty seconds. If Robert wasn''t interested in talking to the "joke", no problem. I wasn''t sweating it, either.


    I walked through the park, casting occasional glances at the McDonald''s across the street. The night was rather cold and drizzly, but I''d reckoned on that so I wasn''t at all cold in a thick sweater and a jacket. Taxis by the subway station blinked their green lights in the dark.


    The cellphone soon rang. Apparently, Robert hadn''t yet worked me out properly so he jumped straight in, "Who do you think you are, young lady? I''ll have you brought here in-"


    "Suit yourself," I said. "New York City is a big place."


    I turned the phone back off and crossed the road to McDonald''s. I was ravenous again. All these escapades could leave me with quite a few extra pounds.


    After a couple of Happy Meals I was ready to discuss the matter with him again. But Robert only hissed and spat into his phone this time.


    "Calm down and call me back," I said before hanging up on him again.


    I walked down into the subway and took the first train, riding mindlessly for a bit and changing lines. Then I walked out, found a place in a caf¨¦ and ordered myself a cappuccino. I was full of surprises, I thought as I stirred it with a dainty little spoon. When had I ever blackmailed an employer into paying me, let alone browbeat him into getting an advance using such cloak-and-dagger tricks? Had I changed somehow? When? Could this succubus bitch have changed something in me?


    This time Robert must have listened to the voice of reason (in the face of Cesar, I presume). After all, he couldn''t be that stupid. Anyone who had made themselves a fortune that big had to know how to keep their emotions in check.


    "What''re your conditions?" he mumbled fighting to bring down the anger in his voice. At least he was ready to cooperate. Excellent.


    "I need to think about it," I said and switched off again.


    I hadn''t done it to further annoy him. I just needed to decide on a fee that would compensate me for my loss of a job, moral damages and grocery bills (as it didn''t look as if my cravings were going to abate any time soon). I might need to add a gym to it too, in order to repair any damage done to my dress size.


    I did some more subway surfing, then contacted him again with a four-digit sum. "Plus expenses," I added. "Fifty percent advance. Text me your decision."


    I spent the next ten minutes riding a taxi ¡ª the first expense on my future bill to him. I only switched the phone back on once in the Bronx. I had a funny feeling I knew what he was going to say but still I wanted to be sure. And if this billionaire daddy had finally deigned me worth speaking to, then I more than deserved two ¡ª make it three ¡ª ice-creams!


    When Cesar and his goons finally collected me from the Bronx, I was admittedly a bit frozen, so I paused by a street vendor for a quick coffee and a bagel before getting into the car. These NY bagels are something else, I tell you.


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    "I don''t believe you!" Cesar gave me a bear hug. I thought I heard my bones crunch. "You squeezed an advance out of him!"


    Immediately, he got serious. "Okay, but now let''s get down to work. Arthur really needs some help. You''ll see in a minute. I need to get your bank account number to send you the money."


    "Where are we going?" I asked once my finances, the coffee and the bagel were out of the way. I was dying to know whether he was happy to see me, Allison, and not just his partner in demon hunting. Had the events not taken this turn in my favor, would I have ever seen him again? Would he have called me? Would he have tracked me down?


    I peered out the window. "Greenwich Village is the other way!"


    "I need to see someone first. We can''t afford to make any more mistakes. I want to be sure you have a proper weapon."


    I raised my eyebrows.


    "Don''t worry," he laughed. "No one''s gonna give you an AK. We demon hunters have our own tools of the trade."


    * * *


    "She''s a freelancer like ourselves," Cesar explained, helping me down the stairs.


    We stood in the basement floor of an old six-story building in China Town. Unlike the expert nerd Danny, their weapon whiz surprised me. I expected to see a man ¡ª probably, an ex-Seal or someone. But this was... and actually how could an old lady live in this hovel? Didn''t she have any respect for herself?


    I knew better than to tell her that, of course, but tried to keep away from everything, to make sure I didn''t collapse any piled-up furniture or walk into horrible-looking pools of something sticky on the floor. The pipes running along the walls were caked with a very unsavory-looking substance. Was it really mold? And if it was, how many decades had it taken for it to accumulate? The old woman must be as bloated as a toad living in this damp.


    Shuffling her ancient felt boots, she scampered out of a tiny door in the depths of the basement, all doubled up and struggling to make her way toward us. She searched the pockets of her stinky old coat, pulling out several pairs of glasses and perching them one by one onto her aquiline nose, trying to make out our outlines in the dull electric light. A lurid Gypsy shawl was wrapped over her coat. Finally satisfied ¡ª either with her choice of glasses or with her gut instinct ¡ª she nodded, mumbling something, and motioned us to follow her through the little door. Did she really mean it? The basement was all grimy and slimy, the pools of whatever was on the floor emitting an unhealthy sheen. I was scared of mice! And spiders! And if this room was already bad, what was it going to be like in her place?


    The little steel door turned out to be bigger than I thought but still not high enough. I stooped to get through it when something went for my face, howling. A pair of steely jaws clapped shut right in front of my eyes. I stared at two brilliant green lights.


    "Off, Ifrit!" the old lady bellowed from the depths of the room. She touched something, flipping a switch, filling the room with a soft light.


    Oops. Sorry, Ma''am. My mistake.


    Casting a distrustful glance my way, the old lady removed her claggy coat and the felt boots.


    "I''m so sorry you had to use the service door," she said in a deep contralto untouched by age. "They never stop renovating the front entrance."


    Her dog turned out to be a Great Dane of the recognizable Harlequin pattern, white with a smattering of black patches. His green-tinted eyes were unusually large, his patches glinting almost purple on his sinewy body. He studied us both: me with a skeptical appraise, and Cesar ¡ª well, I had a funny feeling the pooch had known him for a long time. A normal dog doesn''t have such richly expressive eyes! Having said that, this Ifrit didn''t at all look like a normal dog. He shifted his four feet next to us for a while, then walked away and lay down in the corner, leaving me to stare at his owner.


    You couldn''t call her beautiful: she was tall and skinny, her sagging skin creased and dry, her lower lip thrust out, her huge nose hooked. But her eyes... she may have not been a grande belle in her younger days but she surely could have wrapped any man around her little finger. You just couldn''t stop staring into those eyes: two bottomless black lakes on a sunny day, sparks glimmering under their agate surface, hinting at the devils hiding deep inside.


    "Quit staring," she said to me good-naturedly. "I ain''t no picture. You two want a drink?"


    "Some other time, Mrs. Prudence," Cesar walked over to the woman, exchanging three kisses. "Arthur is in trouble. We''d better get going."


    She rummaged through her apron pockets ¡ª the lighting finally allowed me to see that the apron was in fact very clean and starched. Unearthing yet another pair of glasses, she perched them on her nose and, in turn, stared at me. I felt uneasy under her studious gaze ¡ª so uneasy I began looking around the room. The basement outside was impossibly dank but her own room was perfectly dry and cozy. The pipes were covered with lacy doilies, the light bulbs were decked out with some African-style lampshades, net curtains covering the small windows under the ceiling. A modern patchwork quilt ¡ª definitely not hand-made ¡ª was cast over a bed in the corner. A large wooden table, long and sturdy, took up the entire center of the room. One of its ends was occupied by a small turner''s lathe, with neat rows of wooden blanks stacked up in front of it.


    "You don''t mean her?" she finally said.


    I tensed up. "Why not?"


    Mrs. Prudence snorted in her deep contralto. Then she laughed, "See if I give a damn, girl. There''re better in the world than their little family."


    "Mrs. Prudence!" Cesar spoke up. I heard a strange note in his voice I couldn''t quite place.


    "All right, all right. Let''s do it," she interrupted her own musings. She sat down in front of the lathe and rummaged through her pockets for yet another pair of glasses. How many did she have? Then she pressed some sort of switch under the table, starting up the lathe''s motor. "So, what do we have here?"


    She began sorting through the blanks which were all of different size, thickness and color ¡ª apparently made from different types of wood. "Take a seat," she nodded to us both, then stared back at me. "Aries, aren''t you?"


    I nodded. How did she- well, Cesar must have told her, of course, but then again, we''d only just walked in.


    Casting rapid glances at me, she took the blanks in front of her one by one, fumbling with them and bringing them right to her nose for a better look, even inspecting them against the light ¡ª as if she could see through the wood! I kept studying, inconspicuously, both her and the room. Talk about the devil''s work. How could I expect to find anyone living in a place like this ¡ª even less so an old woman, and look at the palace she''d turned the place into! This was a proper apartment set in a basement. That wasn''t right, surely! How could a normal person ¡ª not a homeless tramp ¡ª live in a place like this?


    "Late April," she murmured while going through the blanks.


    "The twenty-first," Cesar answered while walking around the room staring at the little wooden figurines lining the shelves. So many of them, all so artistically crafted!


    "As if I can''t see," she snorted, then chose a dark piece of wood, arguably the smallest on the table. All the while, the lathe was humming idly. "Mars and the Moon, the Sun in the first house, Venus in the fifth. She''s trouble, my boy. Don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    "Don''t crow, lady," Cesar answered rather unceremoniously.


    "I''m not crowing. I''m prophesizing," she retorted while offering the piece of wood up to the lathe. Wood shavings flew everywhere. In less than a minute she was holding what looked like a cross between a wooden dagger and a dart. "There, take it."


    Respectfully Cesar accepted the dart and brought it to his face, studying and taking in the odor. Was it my imagination or their noses bore some family resemblance?


    "Are you going to treat it?" he asked.


    "Done," she switched off the lathe and rose. "Where do you think I got the blanks from? They are all treated for two months before I use them. Now piss off. I''ve got a good book I want to read before I go to bed," she reached into a corner for a broom and a steel dust pan.


    "But how about your famous custom-tailored solutions, Ma''am? Individual oils selection and other promotional junk?"


    The dog barked from his corner. Mrs. Prudence stood up, broom in hand, and glared at Cesar.


    "Piss off, I said! I thought you were in a hurry? Did you ask yourself how I was supposed to treat it now, dear nephew ¡ª no you didn''t! Or did you think wood could absorb the oils in fifteen minutes flat? I''ve done what I could do in this situation choosing the best of what I already had. Trust me it''ll work. The girl is good enough. She''s one of those who can claw their enemy to death. And if she survives and starts working, then you two can come back and I''ll make her a full set complete with all the bells and whistles: the incense, the night vigils, everything it takes. Are you still here? Come on now, chop chop! Tell that old skinflint I''ll send him the bill tomorrow morning."


    She began sweeping up all the wood chips and shavings on the floor. Cesar shoved the dart into my hands and nudged me to the door.


    I didn''t say a word until we got back in the car.


    "She''s awesome," I managed. "But what was it she was doing? How do I use this?"


    "Mrs. Prudence is our best expert. A bit too independent, actually. She''d only worked with us for a couple of months when she and Robert had words, apparently ¡ª and he doesn''t suffer insubordination gladly. He told her where she could stuff her expertise; she didn''t mince words, either, so he said he''d fire her, to which she turned round and quit. Then she opened her own little shop. It works like a dream. Robert still can''t forgive her though."


    "Worked with us ¡ª who do you mean?"


    He gave me a vacant look, apparently forgetting I wasn''t one of "them", either.


    "Doesn''t matter," he dismissed the question. "Now we need to go through your motions. You''re working tonight."


    "Not tonight," I declared. "I need some sleep and a good meal. Also, I need to learn more about all this."


    "Sorry, but Robert''s impatient. Arthur seems to be on his case. D''you know why Robert called you? He didn''t want to hear anything about you, but apparently, Arthur dug his heels in. No idea what they said to each other but Robert was green with anger when he walked out of his office. I wasn''t there when it happened. I''ve no idea what you need to do to put Robert in a state. He''s generally a very level-headed guy. So he walked down to the basement and spent half an hour at the firing range shooting at targets. Then he came back up and gave you a call. Robert may be many things, but he never changes his mind, so once he''d decided he had nothing to do with you, you''d probably have never heard from him again. But his two children..."


    "Two children?"


    "Yes. Arthur and Maya, they''re twins. He may boss them around but he''ll kick any amount of butt for them. Remember that. His children are the light of his life."


    "Then he should know he shouldn''t act in a hurry," I yawned. "Preparation is king."


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 Part Two. The Seducer - 6

    6


    When I met Arthur at lunch the next day, I was struck by how gaunt he looked. He seemed very excited in a feverish sort of way. He laughed a lot, his sunken eyes glistening in his pale face. This time the contrast between his appearance and his behavior was dramatic. At a certain point I thought I noticed something deep in his eyes: the glint of a cry for help coming from someone invisible within who was immediately shoved aside by a powerful alien force.


    Robert was all doom and gloom. He only spoke to Cesar, dropping short phrases in his direction. Finally I met Arthur''s sister. A sickly ash blonde, Maya looked like her brother''s scaled-down copy. She didn''t say a single word over the course of dinner, staring down at her plate. Only occasionally did she look up at Arthur, the concern palpable in her stare, and even more occasionally at me as if trying to figure out what I was doing there. I wondered if Robert and Cesar had explained to her the nature of Arthur''s problems. Or had they spared her the anxiety, leaving her to do her own guesswork?


    Arthur was getting out of control. He showered me with compliments and dirty jokes, poking fun at Cesar and his father and virtually ignored his sister. Only once did he address her with a "Pass me the salt," uttered in such a voice that Maya poured her orange juice all over herself.


    After lunch, Cesar cornered me in a soft chair under a palm tree and began dishing out instructions. He took his chance to clue me in on the basics of succubus and incubus exorcism while Arthur had to go back to the university. Soon my head was bursting with the amount of demonology he tried to cram in.


    I wasn''t exactly pleased that he didn''t look too happy to see me again. He treated me as a friend ¡ª but he didn''t seem to have a girlfriend, did he? He never phoned anyone, never texted anything with a tale-telling faint smile on his lips.


    With an inhuman effort, I forced all these thoughts deep into my subconscious. I didn''t need all this insecurity. I didn''t need to fall in love with him. Having said that, I actually must have done so already. I''d have to think about it some other time. Now I had to concentrate on the job. I had to pull a demon out of a human body.


    Then Cesar took me outside into the summer house in the garden.


    "This is your love nest," he explained. "This is where you''re going to work. It''s a much better environment for exorcising an incubus than a regular room. There''re many more places for me to hide to make sure I''m at hand at the right moment."


    We checked this so-called "love nest". It was originally an octagonal conservatory, very pretty, covered with ivy whose branches covered the enormous wall-to-ceiling windows. Thick scarlet curtains blocked the windows from the inside, creating a cozy gloom even in daytime.


    I gave a mental sigh. This could have been a perfect love nest for Cesar and myself.


    We burned the pentagram into the floor. Cesar then covered it with a carpet and began shoving bunches of herbs under it.


    "What do you remember about demons'' nature? Tell me now."


    Remembering it was definitely in my interests. I began unbending fingers one by one,


    "They can be either ethereal or physical. Four elements in total: fire and air, water and earth. Ethereal demons are always male, called incubi. They can be either fire or air. They''re ugly and vicious. They are contained by the herbs, er, let me think, yes: by the herbs of a cold nature. Then they should be disembodied using the herbal noose. Physical demons are always female, they''re either water or earth. They are contained with warm fumigations and destroyed by the emanations of warm wood."


    Mechanically my hand slid into my pocket to feel Mrs. Prudence''s dart. The wood was still warm even though it had been more than twenty-four hours since she''d made it. Could it be magic? The last few days had been quite an eye-opener, but still I couldn''t help wondering.


    More bunches of "cold" herbs hung under the ceiling, cleverly camouflaged inside some vines. A couple of men staggered in with an enormous mattress, super king size, and threw a velvet cover over it. Cesar was already busy placing his candles and braziers all around it.


    "Take some pillows and quilts and throw them onto the mattress," he told me. "I''m already fed up with doing everything myself."


    "Are you sure he won''t smell a rat?" I picked up a pile of fancy pillows and cushions and threw them onto the mattress in nice artistic disarray. "Are we getting some sheets at all?"


    "I''ll be in here," Cesar said. "Robert won''t forgive another epic fail like the last time. I want you to know that."


    "What do you mean?"


    By way of answer, Cesar pulled one of the scarlet curtains aside. Apparently, the curtains were also hung over some niches between the windows. Originally they were probably meant to house some statues but now they stood vacant.


    I couldn''t believe his nerve. "Are you sure? Don''t forget Arthur can sense you. Even though the room is big, you''re going to be right next to us! And besides, I simply won''t be able to relax knowing you''re here."


    "I''m afraid you''ll have to," Cesar''s face was serious. "I''ll come prepared. Your job is to lure the incubus out and I''ll do the rest. We only have one hit at it. If the demon realizes we''re trying to catch him, he''ll stay put. And then, I''m afraid, nothing will save Arthur ¡ª Arthur himself, I mean. You haven''t yet had the pleasure of seeing a host after a month of demonic possession."


    "I don''t think I want to," I mumbled. Despite the apparent danger an incubus presented to his host, I sometimes wished it could possess Cesar instead.


    "And for crying out loud, please don''t provoke him!" he repeated. "Demons possess superhuman strength and very negative morals. When angered, they lose control, destroying everything around them. I''ve already buried a less prudent friend and I don''t want to go through it again. Do you hear me?" he squeezed my shoulder. I looked into his eyes and shrank mentally. Could Arthur really harm me? Then again, if he did, it wouldn''t actually be him, of course.


    "How can they destroy anything if they''re immaterial?" I asked.


    "Don''t you remember breaking that locket of yours on that succubus bitch''s head? Furious with being dragged out of a warm human body, a demon can transcend to a higher plane. They can''t actually move any objects ¡ª only the strongest and the vilest of demonic overlords can do that. But they can control our reality. They can burn or freeze you, they can also change the voltage in electric appliances... So please be careful, Allie. Please."


    I nodded. "Will do my best. If you promise not to call me Allie. I''m Allison and always will be."


    "If you wish. So how are you going to pull him out?"


    Good question. I kept asking myself the same thing.


    Arthur arrived at dinner time. I''d no idea if the incubi could experience some semblance of injured male pride or whether they weren''t properly sated if they failed to satisfy their victim (myself in this case) ¡ª or maybe I just hadn''t provided the kind of nutrition he needed. In any case, he buzzed around me like a bee around a honey pot, apparently trying to suss out what it had been that I hadn''t liked the last time.


    We went out for a walk in the garden, perambulating between the house and the "love nest". All the while, Robert eyed us from his second-floor window. No idea what he was thinking of ¡ª and I didn''t care, I had enough on my plate as it was. Arthur and I flirted away, exchanging platitudes non-stop. I nearly got cramp in my jaw from all the seductive smiling while I tried to convince him that kisses were my pleasure of choice: from the most innocent to the deepest ones with lots of tongue.


    Then Cesar arrived with the message from Arthur''s father demanding to see him straight away. Properly stimulated by our kisses talk, Arthur dug in his heels as he couldn''t wait to put his new knowledge into practice. Cesar and I exchanged glances. I had to make it clear to the starving demon that upon his return, he was looking at a lovely meal in the summer house... meaning a normal human meal: some food being served. But I had to tell him that in a most natural way.


    I wasn''t exactly pleased with this lame excuse we''d come up with earlier. Neither was Cesar ¡ª which was a bit of a consolation, I suppose.


    "Listen babe," Cesar began, then broke into a prompt bout of coughing. I lovingly slammed him on his back, earning a poke in my ribs for the trouble. Well, he did want me to behave as if we were a couple, didn''t he? "Listen babe, seeing as tomorrow we''re getting married and leaving on honeymoon, I''ve just asked Robert for... er... well, please come to the summer house after sunset. I''ve got a surprise for you there."


    "Darling," I chirped, "I love surprises! Especially from you!"


    Arthur turned red, a crimson flame lighting up in his eyes. "Tomorrow is your wedding? And you''re leaving on honeymoon? Cesar, you didn''t tell me! Allison ¡ª congratulations!" He grabbed my hand, shaking it, his stare fixated on me. "Why did nobody tell me?"


    "Well, we didn''t want to distract you from your studies," Cesar nonchalantly shoved him aside. "You''ve got nothing to do with it, anyway. Robert knew about it. In fact, everybody did. So Allison, what do you think? Are you coming?" he gave me a theatrical wink. "Your wish is about to come true... tonight."


    "Oh well," I announced, faking enthusiasm, "I just hope that you won''t leave me there and disappear on business the way you did the last time! Otherwise I''ll be really angry!"


    "I won''t, my love, I promise," Cesar enveloped me in his arms and lifted me slightly, pretending he was giving me a kiss, while whispering in my ear, "What a lot of bullshit."


    "Arthur?" I asked innocently. "I thought your father wanted you to see him?"


    "I''ll be back to wish you good night," he said through his teeth, sounding exactly like his father.


    "So sweet of you! You don''t need to bother, really. Cesar can do that," I said, stroking Arthur''s cheek.


    His eye twitched. "We''ll see about that," he mumbled, then swung round and hurried toward the house. Looked like it worked. And if he threw his daddy a scene now, demanding he get rid of Cesar...


    "I can''t believe he bought into this," I said. "Our drama skills pretty much suck. The incubus must have smelled a rat!"


    Cesar shook his head. "Do you remember what you saw on the night I brought you to my place? Could you describe the color of the wallpaper, the chandeliers, the braziers and the candles? I don''t think you even noticed any of it until much later. When a demon is out hunting, he concentrates on his quarry alone. He doesn''t notice anything else around."


    "You''re right," I said. "That''s that taken care of, then."


    Robert''s outline disappeared from his office''s lit window. As the night fell, Cesar and I headed for the house, listening to the angry voices coming from the open window. We exchanged glances. The incubus was impatient to hunt me. And we were impatient to hunt him.


    * * *


    I wish I could say I was lounging idly on the pillows heaped in the center of my love nest... as if! I just couldn''t relax knowing that Cesar was there watching me. So I waited for Arthur, sitting cross-legged atop the velvet bedspread, leafing nervously through a dog-eared copy of some book ¡ª and seeing nothing, unable to concentrate. I was wearing a short dressing gown over a peach silk Wild Orchid two-piece ¡ª one size smaller than mine (I got the size wrong as those two only allowed me to shop for it on the Internet). You couldn''t really see it but the bra clasp was digging into my skin ¡ª not a pleasant sensation at all. True that it pushed my breasts up so high they very nearly spilled out of their lacy cups. Cesar had approved of the outfit, thus stripping me of the chance to complain and exchange it for a bigger size.


    The guest house was rather chilly ¡ª it would be, considering it was already October. The small heater that Cesar had fetched from somewhere didn''t help much. I draped some covers over my shoulders, listening to the wind howling outside. The quiet coughing and shuffling behind the curtain didn''t allow me to concentrate. I knew of course that Cesar had to get his incubus-fighting weapon ready but still it annoyed me no end.


    I was probably too nervous to have heard the footsteps outside. Either that, or Arthur had crept up on me. Suddenly the door swung open. I sort of shrieked at the sight of a human outline in the dark doorway. Not that cloak again! Who did he think he was? But no ¡ª he wore no cloak, only a worn pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, his cheeks pink with the night cold.


    "It''s all right," he said. "It''s only me."


    "You scared me," I gasped. "I''m starting to see things."


    Only then did I remember that I had to stick to my story. "Cesar isn''t with you?"


    He grinned. "I''m afraid he had an urgent appointment. He''s a hard worker, is our Cesar. You probably know that better than anyone."


    I didn''t even need to fake my disgust. "He could have told me! This is our last night in town. Cesar promised me a surprise..."


    "I think he meant me," Arthur said, slowly approaching the bed. His lips parted, exposing the tip of a quivering tongue. He stared directly at my lips ¡ª apparently, he was a quick learner. Men were so predictable! You could manipulate them any way you wanted. And what was an incubus if not a kiss-crazy man? If there were any differences, I was yet to discover them.


    He probably expected me to lean toward him. Well, I didn''t: I shrank back. He raised a surprised eyebrow and lowered his body onto the bed. I retreated some more, sensing the powerful surge of desire emanating from him. This was an explosive mixture of incredible male sex appeal and animal hunger.


    "Actually, I..." I mumbled, sensing my entire body answer his call. I wasn''t cold any more ¡ª on the contrary. "I''m actually with Cesar. I don''t think it''s a good thing..."


    Admittedly I felt uneasy. You just couldn''t stop him. Why oh why did Cesar never try to do anything like this?


    I almost heard ¡ª or did I really? ¡ª Cesar groan from behind his curtain, Don''t object!


    However, Arthur wasn''t annoyed. "Yeah, right. You aren''t even married yet. Just think of him leaving you in this place on such a night! Don''t you think he deserves to be punished?"


    His gaze burned a hole in me. My face flushed as he approached me. My stomach quivered in sweet anticipation, sending warm waves of desire through my body. The only thing that didn''t allow me to give in and go with the flow was the fact that I had a demon hunter staring at my back.


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    I stood up in bed. The covers slid to my feet.


    "You''re my Aphrodite born of sea foam," he whispered, clambering toward me on his knees across the bed. He clasped my hands and pressed them together. I shuddered with desire. Not again! Where are my kisses? I''d been paid an advance, after all! I had to show some work for it and finally pull this wretched incubus out of the customer!


    I didn''t even notice he was busy watching me ¡ª studying me.


    "You''re so tense, baby," he whispered. "Just relax. I''ll make you feel so good."


    His fingers stroked the palms of my hands. Dammit! I collapsed to my knees. Finally our faces were at the same level, his hot breathing burning my cheeks. He backed off a little, as if sensing it. I in turn closed my eyes, clinging to him. He backed off again. He felt hotter than a normal man ¡ª so much in fact that I realized we didn''t need a heater.


    "I''m afraid I might burn you," he mumbled in embarrassment when I clung to him again. He buried his face in my hair. I realized he didn''t exaggerate. How strange. Why would a demon worry about his victim''s wellbeing? Such behavior wasn''t at all typical.


    "I love hot men," I whispered. Leaning back, I cupped his face and lifted it up. Our eyes met. His confused stare could equally belong to Arthur or the demon himself.


    "I want you to feel good," said the incubus. I sensed him trembling inside. "I have this feeling we have something in common... I feel so close to you, Allison, I don''t want any other woman! Please stay with me," a sincere plea filled his voice.


    "I want you to feel good too," I said to Arthur, imprisoned and suffering deep inside the confines of his own body. He had to feel a lot of what the demon was experiencing, after all. So let him enjoy it, too.


    I pulled Arthur''s face close to mine. His breathing seemingly singed my face. Our lips touched, the tip of his tongue entering my mouth. I shuddered in ecstasy. His hands closed tighter on my body. Our breathing became one. I clung closer to him, my hands sliding down his burning hot body, trying to get under his T-shirt. He felt for my bra clasp. We kissed non-stop ¡ª what a bliss! I melted in his fiery breathing, groaning, biting his lower lip. I didn''t give a damn about being watched any more.


    The forked tip of his tongue brought me back to life. Cesar had warned me about it many times, and still it scared me. Entwined in a passionate kiss, out tongues created the point where our reality met the other world, the dwelling of demons, and allowed the incubus to touch me with his real ethereal body ¡ª and not the host''s human flesh. According to Cesar, this was exactly how incubi traveled from one body to the next, and that was exactly how the hunters got to pull them out.


    If the truth were known, I didn''t have to do much. I couldn''t, as I''d forgotten everything Cesar had told me. I simply shrank back, sensing the incubus'' real touch, watching in horror its enormous bulk rise above me and the slackened Arthur. Lightning flashed through his powerful torso. A pair of enormous fiery wings rustled, unfurling behind his back, filling the immediately cramped room with unbearable heat. The demon floated up to the ceiling, his face distorted with fury. I turned my face away for a moment, so scorchingly hot was he ¡ª despite the fact that I could see the room and the furniture through him. He was pure fire.


    I gasped and pulled the noose from under the pillow. On seeing it, the demon wailed in amazement. His eyes lit up like two red-hot suns, and his face... there was something brutally masculine in it, violent and commanding. My heart missed a bit, but immediately I pulled myself together. Leaning forward, I waited for him to descend a little, then threw the noose over his powerful bulging neck. Then I pulled it with all my might.


    The demon roared, thrashing about. I could see the noose biting into his skin, the thin line filling with bright light as it circled his neck. And then ¡ª then the herbal noose snapped in two. Losing my balance, I collapsed onto the bed under a surge of liquid fire. This wasn''t in the script! The sheets were actually smoking. He was going to burn me alive!


    I could see a pulsating cord of fire reaching from the incubus'' belly into Arthur''s body. Did this mean some of him was still inside the boy?


    The curtain swung open, letting out Cesar. He held a whip which was also woven from herbs. Stepping in front of me, he shielded me as the demon struggled desperately within the confines of the pentagram hidden under the carpet. The incense smoking in the braziers created an invisible wall that he just couldn''t breach.


    The herbal whip carved through the air. The incubus was trapped, and he knew it better than anyone.


    Then an unexpected thing happened. The ethereal umbilical cord that still connected the incubus to the now-unconscious Arthur radiated an unbearable light. Blinking, Arthur rose and staggered toward the bed. The demon was still controlling his body! Cesar lashed at the pulsating channel, breaking the bond. Arthur collapsed on the floor, his head knocking over two of the candles and a brazier, breaching the protective cocoon. Seeing an opening in the smoke screen, the demon rushed through it, bellowing, disappearing in the sparking roar of a fiery vortex.


    The overturned brazier emitted a whiff of smoke. The two tumbled candles had gone out and the few remaining sparks burned holes in the expensive rug.


    "He''s gone!" furious, Cesar hurled his whip onto the floor.


    I hurried to help Arthur. When I tried to lift his head, he opened his eyes.


    "Maya," he managed with a forced smile. I turned around. His sister stood in the doorway, her scared eyes opened wide.


    "What do you think you''re doing here!" Cesar snapped. "Go and call your father! He needs to get Arthur back to bed and have this place cleaned up. Get the doctor, quick!"


    "I don''t need a doctor," leaning heavily on my shoulder, Arthur scrambled back to his feet. "I''m fine... oh!"


    He attempted a step forward but his feet wouldn''t carry him. Maya rushed to help her brother. Between the two of us we kept him on his feet. Maya cast a swift glance my way. They were so alike, those two.


    Fatigue got the better of me. Cesar draped a cover over my shoulders.


    "You pulled him out really well," he said. "Good technique. But then.."


    "He burned through my noose," I groaned.


    "Exactly. Honestly, it''s the first time I''ve seen anything like it. And the demon... that was a weird creature, wasn''t it? Did you get a good look at him?"


    "He was so... powerful."


    "Exactly. Powerful is the right word. I''ve never met anything like him before. This is all very strange, I have to admit. Wherever you go, Allison, strange things seem to happen. Anyway! You can barely stand on your feet. Would you like me to carry you?"


    I shuddered with the chilly night air coming through the open door. The little summer house was getting cold quickly. I was dying to cuddle up to Cesar''s broad chest... and still I said no.


    "I can manage. Can you pass me my sneakers over there, please? And ¡ª sorry, but I didn''t quite understand. Have we got him or what?"


    Cesar shook his head, doubtful. "The incubus has got away. But Arthur is free, that''s the most important thing. Shame we failed to disembody the demon but I have a funny feeling he won''t be back in a hurry. So strong! Did you notice he could still control Arthur even after he''d left his body?"


    We walked across the garden toward the house. Wet grass was soft under my bare feet. I carried my clothes in my hands: I was dying for a shower after an encounter with a spirit of Fire. Admittedly I''d forgotten everything in his company. Could you experience something of the kind with a normal man?


    Cesar left me to get to my room on my own. He wanted to fetch Arthur. As he left, he told me to meet them in Robert''s office in an hour to celebrate.


    "Will there be food there?" I asked. "I could do with whatever their M. G¨¦rard has to offer."


    "I''m sure Robert will arrange something. Just don''t go falling asleep in the shower."


    I could still smell the incense in my room. I slid into the shower and offered myself to its steaming jets, washing off the incubus'' touch. Even though it had left no traces on my body, I kept feeling the burning imprints of his hands and lips all over me. Such a nice warm feeling¡­


    By the time I dried my hair and joined them, the party was in full swing. Arthur slumped in a soft chair, pale and wrapped in a plaid, holding a beaker of mulled wine and accepting others'' congratulations on his safe recovery. Maya stood behind his back ¡ª her face flushed, her eyes shining, happy her brother was finally safe.


    "Doctor says not to overdo it with him," she kept repeating. Freed from the demon''s clutches, Arthur looked entirely different: a nice young man, modest and sweet, just as I had imagined him to be. And still I''d just about had all I could take of him. Maybe some other time when the memory wasn''t so fresh any more. The fact that Arthur cast rather interested glances my way made me nervous. He wasn''t entirely impartial about what had happened: I knew from my own experience that being possessed by a demon doesn''t cause any lapses of memory. Embarrassed, I turned away.


    "Oh well, now you''re a proper demon hunter!" Cesar arrived with a new helping of champagne for me.


    "Thanks. This Maya girl cares a lot for her brother."


    "What makes you think so?"


    "Can''t you see it? She''s so happy she just won''t leave him alone. She''s literally beaming."


    "How strange. Never noticed it before. But now that you say it," Cesar cast a look around, "Maya is normally a very subdued girl. She never shows her emotions in public. She''s very much like Robert in this respect. How are you feeling, anyway? Are you tired? What are you going to do now?"


    "Sleep," I said firmly. "And then we''ll see."


    "Okay," he chose not to contradict me. "Just don''t leave before seeing Robert, okay? He might have something to offer you."


    I looked at Arthur''s father. Had I not known him so well, I might have thought he was busy musing about the futility of it all. Or plotting to murder everybody in the room. Or... but by then I''d already learned to read his facial expressions so I could tell the man was sincerely happy ¡ª grateful even. The latter I began to doubt though after his particularly long stare in my direction. I wasn''t even sure I''d be able to wrestle my remaining fee from him now that our main bargaining chip was safe and sound albeit infirm. Should I have demanded the full fee upfront? Next time I''d have to do that, definitely. Then again, didn''t Cesar say that Robert never reneges on a promise? In any case, the money had to be of no consequence for someone of his caliber.


    Our get-together faded into insignificance rather soon: everyone was too tired to be sociable. Maya and the gray-haired doctor took Arthur away. Robert followed. Cesar and I decided to finish up our champagne lounging in the deep leather chairs in front of the golf course that looked remarkably like a desk. I was slightly dizzy from equal doses of wine, fatigue and success.


    "You okay?" Cesar asked me.


    I forced myself up. "Beddy-byes time."


    "Would you like me to help you to your room?"


    I could see he really didn''t want to get out of his chair. Didn''t he even want to talk to me about it? Didn''t he want to know how I felt or if my incubus experience had changed me? Honestly, I really wanted to discuss it with someone, and Cesar was perfect for it. The demon''s fiery embrace had forced the earlier memories of our intimacy out of my mind. I needed to bring them back otherwise I''d know no peace. But if Cesar wasn''t interested... ah, dammit, I didn¡¯t care. We could talk about it at a later date. I needed some rest. I could barely stand on my feet after my incubus gig.


    "Nah," I waved his offer away. "I''m not that drunk. I''ll find my way. Actually..." I paused. "Thank you, Cesar. For everything. I''m happy I got the chance to meet you. You''re a good partner. If ever we meet again, I''ll be glad to work with you."


    "It''s up to you," with a wink he saluted me with his empty glass, then poured himself the remaining champagne.


    I walked out of the office and nearly jumped. Maya stood behind the doors, lurking in the shadows. Her heavy gray glare pinned me to the ground. Then suddenly she fell upon my neck.


    "I''m so grateful to you for my brother!" she exclaimed. "You''ve no idea what he means to me. We''ve always been together and then all of a sudden he started avoiding me... I didn''t know what to think! Eh," she faltered, "I hope you don''t mind me asking if I could give you something to remember me by? It means a lot to me, so please don''t say no! What if you and I go to Saks Fifth Avenue tomorrow and I choose something nice for you?"


    "Saks? Well, if you insist," I was slightly taken aback by her urgency. "Actually, I''m the same age as you so let''s cut the politeness crap, okay?"


    "Fine," Maya''s moist eyes stared at me again as she reached out to give me another hug. Oh-kay. A slightly unbalanced young lady.


    "That''s settled, then," she kept enthusing. "I''ll come and get you after breakfast."


    "Agreed."


    "Thank you so much!" she was about to fall upon me again but reconsidered, apparently realizing it would be a little over the top. She swung round and ran up the stairs. I trailed behind, listening to her light footsteps. She was so much like Arthur. Same face, same body language. Even the expression in their eyes was identical.


    I stopped dead in my tracks in the corridor. The house was dark and quiet. Everybody must have been fast asleep in their rooms. Apart from Cesar, that is ¡ª I could hear his mumbling voice in Robert''s office.


    I stood amid the corridor staring into space. The expression in Maya''s eyes wasn''t just similar ¡ª it was identical to the old Arthur''s gaze, simultaneously caressing and burning you.


    The gaze of a demon.


    End of part two


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 Part Three. The Seductress - 1

    1


    Where could she have contracted him? Or her, rather, as women were possessed by female demons. How could you contract a demon ¡ª it''s not a flu, after all? The idiotic thought flashed through my mind before I could stop myself from panicking. Maya was possessed! Shit. In his flight, the incubus must have damaged the fabric separating our worlds, letting some stray succubus in.


    What was I supposed to do? Raise the alarm and awaken everyone? No way. It might actually scare the she-demon off. I already knew that Robert''s children were the apples of his eye. If Maya took off ¡ª and I could see that the succubus inside her was itching to paint the town red ¡ª Robert would make mincemeat out of me, then send it downstairs to M. G¨¦rard to prepare him a nice meal of meatballs.


    Calm down, Allison old girl, I said to myself. Maya wasn''t going anywhere without me. She seemed to need a chaperone. A poor little rich girl, never without her bodyguards ¡ª I doubted she''d be able to find her way around NYC on her own. She''d do a bit of shopping first, then invite me to do some clubbing, I was sure of that. I''d picked up my own succubus in a club, hadn''t I? Should I really take her out and see if Maya manages to dispense of her free rider and dump it onto some other poor unsuspecting soul?


    I had to tell Cesar. I turned round and headed back into the office. He was sleeping sprawled in his chair, his listlessly hanging hand still clutching the champagne glass.


    I shook his shoulder. "Cesar, wake up! We have a problem. Maya is possessed!" I shouted into his sleepy face.


    His gaze cleared. He sat up and grabbed my hand. "Have you had one too many? This isn''t a joke! You shouldn''t make fun of these things."


    "Let me go!" I struggled free and stared at the red marks his steely fingers had left on my wrist. "I''m serious. Just now, she was hitting..."


    "Hitting who? You?" Cesar stared at me. "Why?"


    "You listen!" I was getting angry with him. The champagne he''d drunk would need some time to get out of his system. "All I wanted to say, she was hitting on me. Suggested we went out together. Apparently, she wanted me to go shopping with her. Said she wanted to give me something for healing her brother. But she had this kind of look... sort of horny. You know what I mean."


    "Horny? Slutty, you mean?" Cesar rubbed his forehead. "Fuck it. Now where could she have picked it up? Are you sure? Because if you''re right, then it''s a problem. Robert will kill us both. We''ve just saved Arthur, and now her... Maya, of all people!" he groaned. "Shit, shit, shit!"


    An idea struck me. "We don''t need to tell Robert anything. You go and see her now quickly and give her a kiss, and pull that succubus slut out the way you normally do. No demon, no problem."


    "Yes!" he jumped up like an uncurling spring, wide awake and ready for action. "You wait here. No, pointless really, you''d better go to bed. I''ll go and see her now. Not a word to anyone! Robert will burn me alive if I as much as touch her."


    "Why?"


    He grabbed his noose from the desk, uncoiling it. "It''s a long story. Just trust me on this one. We''d be better off not telling anyone. I can''t believe it," he groaned again. Was it my imagination or was there more to his anxiety than just a desire to appease Robert? "Never mind. At least I''m pretty sure I''ll do a better job than anyone with her. Now go, go! See you in the morning. And not a word to anyone!"


    He strode out, purposeful. I just stood there like an idiot. I didn''t know what to think. What kind of secrets he and Maya might have? Or did she know about Cesar and her father''s line of work? Then why had Cesar been so unwilling to tell me anything about it? We were partners, after all.


    Shame on you, I said to myself. No need to be so jealous. Cesar had known Maya for ages ¡ª as well as Arthur and Robert, come to think of it ¡ª and he and I, we''d basically only just met. Even though we''d had experienced more in this brief period of time that Maya could ever have hoped. Absolutely nothing to worry about. Time to go to bed.


    Still, I lingered. I listened to the sounds in the corridor: no one seemed to be coming. I wriggled sideways to the desk. Where were those printouts I''d noticed earlier? Yes, I know, nosing about somebody else''s desk was a very bad thing indeed. But the proverbial curiosity got the better of me. Not curiosity even but rather my desire to find out more about demons ¡ª one particular demon even. My supposed Granddad. The mystery that shrouded my birth was burning a hole in me. Sorry, I just couldn''t help it.


    I reached for a neat stack of papers on the desk and leafed through them. Nothing. The drawings I''d noticed earlier weren''t there. Shame. So much for my hope to do a quick detective job. I would have never in a million years opened his desk drawers. Reading some paperwork left on the table was one thing but being caught red-handed snooping about his desk drawers was quite another. If Robert saw it... Better not to even think about it.


    Still, I studied the desk doors on the outside ¡ª very covertly mind you, as if it was somebody else and not me at all. Did Robert keep all the important papers in his desk ¡ª or in a secret strongbox somewhere? Wonder if he''d accidentally forgotten to lock them up?


    The desk had two drawer units and three more drawers below the tabletop. I crouched and tried first the doors. They opened easily but concealed nothing. No paperwork at all, just some medicine bottles, little boxes and lengths of old rope. Oh well then, I had to check the tabletop ones. The one in the middle had a key sticking out of the little lock; the two side ones were open. I checked them one after the other.


    The inside of the right drawer was lined with green cloth. A large black gun rested atop it. Gingerly I closed it: this would be Robert''s weapon of choice in the event he caught me red-handed.


    I stepped away and hid my hands behind my back, pretending I was studying the paintings on the walls. Their subject matter was sort of... demonic, I might say. The corridor was quiet though. No one was rushing to the office in order to arrest me or simply to shoot me on the spot.


    I plucked up some courage and reached for the middle drawer. I touched the key but immediately snatched my hand back. What was I doing? This was illegal! Was that what my dear Gran had taught me? The one with the locket? Honesty is the best policy!


    Then again, I might never learn anything about my Granddad. And if he''d been indeed a demon ¡ª it was very important to find out, wasn''t it, Gran? She couldn''t deny it. It was her fault, after all. It was her who''d rolled in the hay with him and now I was supposed to take all the blame?


    For some reason, the voice of my conscience had chosen to take the shape of my Gran and she used to be a tough cookie when it came to arguing. Still, I finally reached out for the key and turned it, then pulled the drawer open. Fortune favors he who dares. Or she.


    Inside was a stack of papers topped with a thin plastic file. A hand-written sticker said,


    Hierarchs'' Seals


    My heart missed a beat: a sure sign I''d just stumbled on something important. Trying not to shiver, I pulled the file out. The familiar printouts slid out of it onto the floor. I leafed through them: there it was, the design that had caught my eye after my first unsuccessful disembodiment attempt. So what did it remind me of? All these swirls and straight lines...


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    My hand closed over Gran''s locket in my pocket. I pulled both halves out and stared at the lid, then compared it to the drawing. Identical. Slowly, as if in fear or disbelief, I read the inscription under it:


    The Seal of Great President Barbas


    At this point, my last doubts were gone. Gran had had an affair with Barbas! She''d slept with a demon! Which made my Dad half demon and myself, a quarter one, right?


    Not quite, the voice of reason spoke inside me. You Gran may have indeed had a roll with Barbas but it didn''t necessarily have to be a love affair.


    Oh yes, it did, I answered. He was an incubus. What else could he and a human woman have in common? Stupid question, really.


    And if she''d indeed had an affair with him, he could have very easily given her this locket as a sign of his never-ending love. Or as protection from other demons. So what did it mean then? Was I really a demon''s granddaughter?


    The office must have been under video surveillance. The thought brought me out in a cold sweat. I hurried to hide the locket. No one should see the seal engraved on it. Nosing around Robert''s paperwork wouldn''t be that hard to explain: I was young, stupid and curious, impatient to find out more about demon hunters. It was only natural, really. But if he found out about my demonic pedigree ¡ª he''d have to kill me, of that I was certain. Wasn''t I every demon hunter''s secret enemy? It was a good job Cesar hadn''t had a chance to get a better look at my locket back in his apartment.


    But what if Granddad was a good demon? Was there such a thing at all? Gran was known for her strict morals. She would have never fallen for a sleek operator. Then again, what did I know about us women?


    I had to ask around about my Granddad. Robert was out of the question. But Cesar must have known something, the only problem was asking him without raising any suspicions: why this particular demon? Why such an interest in him?


    I staggered. Enough, I couldn''t stand straight any longer. Time to hit the sack before I crashed right here on top of Robert''s desk. Bet he''d be surprised!


    I cast a furtive look around, slid the printouts neatly back into the folder, placed it in the drawer and turned the key in the lock. Time to leg it.


    Yawning, I walked down the hallway. My feet sank into the fluffy carpet. I''d already reached my room door when I thought I heard something. It was none of my business, of course. I had absolutely no need to be there. Still, I headed for the stairs.


    Cesar stood in the hallway, pressing his forehead to the window pane and staring at the black outside. A few little lanterns struggled to disperse the gloom.


    "Are you all right?" I called him, coming closer.


    He startled and looked around. "You''ve not gone to bed yet?" he stared at me in pensive surprise.


    That was funny. Wonder if Maya was all right? In any case, it wasn''t the right moment to pester him with questions about my Barbas granddad. "I heard you go downstairs so I wanted to find out. I didn''t expect you to be so quick!"


    "I didn''t, either," he muttered, deep in thought.


    "And?"


    "And what?" he echoed, still in a world of his own.


    "Cesar, wake up! This is important! How''s Maya? Did you manage to drag the succubus out?"


    He shook his head. "She wouldn''t open the door. I''ve no idea what to think," he sounded puzzled.


    "But you spoke to her, didn''t you?"


    "Well, sort of," he said. "I tried to. But it''s weird. Maya''s different. Shit, what do we do?"


    "Just tell me!" I demanded.


    Finally he seemed to focus on me. "Yeah, right, you don''t know, do you? You see," he faltered, "some time back Maya seemed to have developed a crush on me. Robert found out. He wasn''t amused. He told her to put me out of her head. And you''re better off not knowing what he said to me. Basically, he forbade any form of contact between us. Which is why I asked you not to tell anything to anyone. You''ve seen it yourself, he''s so precious about his daughter. With Arthur he at least tries to be strict and demanding, seeing as he''s the heir to his empire and all. But I don''t think he''s ever as much as raised his voice at her," he rubbed his forehead with two fingers ¡ª a peculiar gesture typical only to him. "And now this! I was pretty sure Maya would let me in. A combination of teenage crush and demonic possession ¡ª she should have opened the door to me. But she didn''t. I''ll tell you more: she told me exactly where to go and stuff myself. That wasn''t her speaking! She wouldn''t have known how to say such a thing. As if there''d been nothing between us at all."


    "Was there?" I asked mindlessly, feeling a pang of jealousy. Could Cesar be in love with Maya too?


    "Nothing whatsoever!" he snapped, annoyed. "Robert had made sure I never came into contact with her. Whenever I come here I don''t even see her. And whenever she goes out, she''s never without her bodyguard. Today was the first time we saw each other in six months... under Robert''s supervision," he cast me a strange glance.


    "But you still thought her feelings for you hadn''t changed?" I insisted. I didn''t like his evasiveness. Of course it was up to Robert to decide whether they''d see each other or not, but still...


    "It''s not that," once again Cesar tried to avoid the subject, as if hurt or embarrassed about it. "Neither succubi nor incubi have any self-control, do you understand? Do you remember how you yourself felt? And this was something incredible: a victim knocking at her door begging to let him in, and she said no!" he threw his hands up in dismay. "I just refuse to understand it."


    "Yeah," I said, feeling slightly better. If even the succubus'' influence couldn''t affect Maya''s feelings toward Cesar, then they couldn''t be that close. "You can say it''s weird. So what do you suggest?"


    "I''ve no idea," he looked totally lost. "She spoke to me as if she didn''t even know me! What did she say to you, do you remember?"


    "She said she''d collect me after breakfast to go and do some shopping."


    He stretched, crunching his joints. "Now listen. We can''t let her go out. I''ll go to the security guys and have a talk with them. They''ll keep an eye on her. This will buy us some time... until the morning at least. In the morning, I''ll spill the news to Robert," his face took on a pained expression. "I can imagine what he''ll say to me! And he can''t even assign anyone else to the job!"


    "Do you want me to tell him?"


    "Yeah right. Think you can handle his reaction? Never mind. Just go to bed. I''ll sort it out. When Maya comes to see you in the morning, try to keep her in for as long as you can. I''m sure Robert and I will think of something. Agreed?"


    I nodded. I''d have to leave my family history till a later date. I had to concentrate on disembodying the succubus. A demon hunter''s life was the opposite of predictable.


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 Part Three. The Seductress - 2

    2


    I was so restless about my discovery of the demoness I just couldn''t sleep. This entire new direction in my life had jumped on me from nowhere, so that I had no time to get used to my new role. I needed to give it a good thought and decide whether I really wanted to do it, dashing around catching horny demons. And now this!


    I knew of course that Maya''s demoness had nothing to do with me. This was a job for a male hunter. But if Robert didn''t seem inclined to entrust her even to his old friend like Cesar, who could he choose for the job? Admittedly, I''d feel much better had Cesar been indeed banned from seeing her. Just in case. As I''d already found out first hand, a demon''s victim could easily fall for its host. Those text messages I''d received were a fine example. Me too, I still couldn''t forget my night with Arthur ¡ª or whoever it had been inside him. This had probably been the most memorable experience of my entire life.


    I shuddered, trying not to think about the demon''s scalding breath and his fiery kisses. Instead, I concentrated on the memory of Cesar''s apartment and everything that had taken place there. Thinking of him always got my pulse racing.


    Deep inside, I still felt guilty for some reason. Don''t know why. It was as if my arrival in their house had triggered the possession epidemic of Robert''s kids.


    It had all started long before you, I reminded myself as I tossed and turned for the hundredth time, unable to get comfortable enough to finally get some peace and sleep. I still had the feeling that my picking up that succubus bitch in the club had started some sort of chain reaction, even though it had nothing at all to do with Robert and his house. But that''s human mentality for you: we seek a logical connection everywhere. And as this entire demon theme had only come up in my life two weeks ago, no wonder I was trying to find a connection where there wasn''t any. I hadn''t seen too many demons yet... or had I? Three in two weeks, was it a lot or not enough? I should ask Cesar about it. He was a seasoned hunter and a good-looking man... so hot... so cuddly...


    I fell asleep while still pondering over this ¡ª and awoke before dawn again, half an hour before the alarm, as if it was me and not Maya who was possessed. Those succubus habits seemed to have rubbed off on me. No, not really: the true reason behind my early reveille was the fact that I was worried sick. What time would Maya come? How was I supposed to behave with her? It would be a good idea to talk to Cesar before seeing her ¡ª and even better if he''d already told Robert about her. Those two needed to come up with some kind of plan. I knew woefully little about demonic ways to offer any insights. Or could my succubus experience help, maybe? That''s right. I needed to go see Cesar and tell him how I''d felt while being possessed. It might suggest some ideas to him.


    With that thought I clambered out of the shower, tousling my hair with a towel to dry it faster. Finally I lowered the towel ¡ª and shrieked.


    Maya sat on my bed.


    She gave me a wink. Mechanically I covered myself with a towel: I hadn''t expected visitors so naturally I hadn''t taken any clothes in the shower with me. Not even a bathrobe. And Maya had this particular expression in her gaze... very succubian, should I say, to the point where I couldn''t remain naked in her presence. No idea what those succubus bitches could do when they were hungry. Better chaste than sorry.


    I grabbed the bathrobe from the bed and draped it around my bare shoulders, then slid past Maya to the chair where I''d left my stuff. Turning away so that the bathrobe shielded my naked body from her, I pulled on my underwear, skirt and T-shirt double quick. Only then did I turn to look at her.


    Arthur''s sister kept smiling that mysterious Mona Lisa-ish smile. I could see a typically succubian loose manner in the way she crossed her legs, leaning back on the bed. The real Maya would have looked ridiculous in this pose ¡ª had it not been for her aura of sexuality. My old succubus had swapped her original host for me, apparently thinking I was more suitable for her purposes. And what if this one, too, had decided to- Shit! Mechanically I stepped back.


    Maya was watching my inner struggle with a smile. She changed her position with the lazy grace of a lioness (an admittedly underfed lioness, I had to say ¡ª definitely too androgynous to be Cesar''s type), lacing her fingers over a knee. "I''d like to leave a bit earlier. You mind?"


    "Well..." I paused.


    I struggled to think. What worried me most was the fact that Maya didn''t look too well. Her eyes had sunk, her skin seemed almost translucent. Had she slept at all? Or was it the succubus affecting the fragile girl?


    Then we''d better hurry with the exorcism thing. And in order to do that, I needed to keep her in my room until the arrival of one of the other two. I was sure Cesar would come as soon as he spoke to Robert. I had no idea when they all got up in this house ¡ª hopefully before midday. Hopefully being the operative word. No, not even: undoubtedly Cesar would go see Robert as soon as he got out of bed, and Robert had to be an early riser. I knew the type, a workaholic boss driving everybody into an early grave, one who needs his wealth just for the sake of it, forgoing all life''s little pleasures that come with it. The likes of him wouldn''t blow their wealth on foie gras, champagne and hottubfuls of horny models. So I had to hold the fort for just a little longer.


    But what was I supposed to do in the meantime?


    Maya smiled condescendingly at my predicament. "I hope you don''t mind if we leave before breakfast? I hate waiting. Besides, you don''t know my father. He has this idea of me not being safe on my own. This way he won''t know that I don''t want to take my bodyguard along... we girls need no bodyguards, do we?"


    Her smile was actually seductive, and on her ash-gray lips it looked quite sickening. No, I couldn''t just leave her. I probably should sacrifice myself a little by pulling the succubus into myself. I could see that Maya wasn''t going to last long in the company of the horny little devil: the lecherous glint in her eye was growing feverish and sickly. It actually might be a good solution. Then Cesar could pull the demon out of me and together we could guarantee the monster a warm seeing off!


    I had no time to think it over. So I ad-libbed as I went. Maya rose from the bed, all the while chattering about the plans she had for the two of us for the day. Slowly I walked over to her, stretching my lips in a sexy ¡ª at least I hoped so ¡ª smile. Just as seductive as hers. How could I seduce the she-demon inside her? Should I say something or would my hints only scare the succubus off?


    Maya froze, watching me in surprise. I tried to move naturally and freely, loose-limbed, to make it clear to the demon that my body answered her purposes better. It was curvier ¡ª honestly, it answered men''s needs better. Maya was a stick insect with no breasts or backside worth talking about ¡ª not against my C-cups, anyway.


    I came close and stopped, licking my lips anxiously, not knowing what to do next. My old succubus had approached me herself ¡ª and this one didn''t seem so forthcoming. Dammit! What do I do?


    I could see hell''s fire glinting in her eyes. Her lips curved in a salacious grin. She was tense but still she wouldn''t move. Come on now, do it!


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    Losing patience, I slightly leaned toward her, bringing our faces closer, our breath mingling. She was feverish, wasn''t she?


    By now she was shaking ¡ª and still she just stood there watching me. How weird. Or was it normal for a succubus? What would I have done in my possessed state if a girl had started hitting on me? I felt like a total idiot standing in front of Maya pouting my lips, playing the staring game.


    What if I kissed her myself and pulled the demon out? I could kiss a woman, I suppose. Once I felt the tip of her forked tongue and pulled it, it was as good as done.


    But... I didn''t have the noose! The fire demon had broken it last night. I was unarmed. Besides, the braziers on the table had been washed clean by the chambermaid ¡ª not an ember in sight, let alone a herbal kit to burn. Some predicament.


    "I''m attractive," I finally said, unable to stand the tense silence between us. "I''m sexy and strong," if this succubus bitch was too slow on the uptake, I had to say it as it was. "Do you want me? Come and take me, then. Possess me."


    I saw a weird expression in her eyes as if she couldn''t restrain herself any longer. Her pupils glinted scarlet as Arthur''s sister leaned toward me, her burning lips sinking into mine. I barely suppressed a surprised shriek. Besides, it did hurt... why was an earth demon hot like a fire one? They were supposed to be warm, true, but not that warm! And there was just no way she could be a water one. Because if I remembered rightly, female demons could only be water and earth and male ones, air and fire.


    I didn''t have to suffer long. The forked tongue touched my slightly parted lips, then disappeared back.


    "No!" Maya shrank back with a groan.


    I was confused. "No what?"


    "Not this time!"


    "What not this time?"


    She shook her head, recoiling against the bathroom door. I very nearly repeated her gesture. Was it my old demoness, the one I''d already "hosted" once? Impossible. I''d disembodied her, hadn''t I? Or was it her new incarnation? Was it possible? Where was Cesar? I just didn''t know what to do without him!


    Her lips curved again, the grin hard and sarcastic. "You won''t fool me again."


    In a smooth motion, Maya leapt across the bed and, while I was still about to take after her, turned the key in the door. I stared at her in disbelief.


    "You can''t escape now," she placed the key in her pocket.


    "What do you mean? Weren''t you going to go shopping? How are you going to leave, then? I mean," I felt totally confused, "what do you want?"


    Maya licked her lips, slowly and carnivorously. "I want you."


    "But..."


    Hadn''t I just offered her the same thing? Or ¡ª what was it she was suggesting? Was she a lesbian? Was it even possible?


    Maya''s lecherous grin, her gaze... why did she remind me so much of Arthur? Of the Arthur possessed by a demon. By the demon.


    A vague suspicion formed in my overwrought mind. Impossible. Hadn''t Cesar said that incubi and succubi had their strict gender preferences? Girls to the left, boys to the right?


    Maya ¡ª or rather, if my suspicions were correct, the incubus inside her ¡ª went for me, his steely fingers clasping my wrists, disarming me. He clung to my neck in a fiery kiss. He ¡ª she? ¡ª was shaking as he covered my skin with kisses and impatient little bites raining down on my shoulders. Against my better judgment, I felt aroused. I could feel warm waves run through my body: was it the heat of the demon''s ethereal flesh or of my own desire, triggered by the succu- no, by the incubus. Feeling myself succumb to it, I tried to force myself free but to no avail: even inside Maya''s frail body the incubus was much stronger than me. Shit! Being raped by a girl, that would be a first. And if Robert found out that I''d screwed both his son and his daughter... he was gonna kill me, that little was clear.


    The incubus was getting hornier. I realized with horror that my body was answering his ¡ª her? ¡ª call. The fact that he''d taken the shape of a slim fragile girl only seemed to arouse me more. She was the incubus from yesterday. What a mess.


    Maya stood up, clutching both my wrists in her hand. She laid the other hand on the back of my head, digging her fingers deep into my hair, gently pulling my head back, looking into my eyes.


    "I''m going to kiss you now," there was an open threat in her voice, "so I don''t want any of your tongue tricks."


    Fire played in her gray eyes. Maya pulled in air as if inhaling my scent. Lowering her eyelids, she slowly exhaled into my face, scorching my cheeks, forehead and chin; then she clung to me, burying her lips in mine, setting my mouth on fire, awakening some deep and yet unknown call. Fire ran through my veins, making my whole body tremble. I slackened in the demon''s strong hands, arching my body toward him, feeling that I couldn''t and wouldn''t resist this all-consuming flame of exorbitant passion. This wasn''t a girl kissing me: this was a fire demon, the essence of man, concentrated male spirit, the strongest and sexiest under the sun, beautiful in his impulses.


    Then the fire was gone. Maya''s hands relaxed, letting me go. The girl collapsed right on top of me. I barely stayed on my feet, trying to support her suddenly heavy body. I dragged it to the bed and dropped the girl onto the soft mattress. Was she unconscious?


    She was indeed. Her gray eyes rolled up. She was barely breathing, her skin seemingly whiter than the sheet she was lying on. I shook her, with zero results. She was out. Dammit! What could have caused that?


    Her frail body must have collapsed under the surge of the demon''s sexual energy. I still remembered how this creature of fire had very nearly burned down the little summer house. No wonder this fragile girl couldn''t sustain the heat of this furnace.


    I rummaged through the braziers piled up on the table for the remains of my herbal noose, then tried to tie the girl''s wrists with them. I had no idea if you could do it with the noose and whether the herbs it was made of could affect the host herself. Just in case I wrapped my bathrobe sash around her slack wrists as well. Climbing onto the bed, I grabbed Maya under her arms and laid her on the bed the best I could, trying to make her comfortable. I had no sympathy for the demon but it wasn''t Maya''s fault that she''d been taken over by this love-crazed creature. I felt very sorry for her.


    Then I rummaged through her pockets for the door key, locked the room from the outside and rushed off to get Cesar.


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 Part Three. The Seductress - 3

    3


    I could hear loud voices coming from Robert''s study and that''s where I headed. It looked like the room''s sole purpose was to argue in.


    I knocked nicely, then walked in without waiting for an invitation.


    Robert and Cesar stood on opposite sides of the desk: Robert straight as a ramrod, his arms crossed on his chest. His agitation only showed in the intense glare of his pale face. An unshaven Cesar, red with anger, bent forward, his hands leaning on the desk, arguing animatedly.


    "One kiss isn''t going to bring back anything! If not me, who else do you suggest? Who do you feel you can entrust Maya to?"


    "That''s my business," Robert hissed. "Don''t you ever touch her!"


    Both fell silent and stared at me. The moment didn''t seem particularly apt. I took in a lungful of air intending to blurt everything out when Robert interrupted, nodding at me,


    "And please take this... lady back. I don''t want strangers haunting my house."


    He turned away. I stood there speechless. So that''s how it was now, then? I was bending over backwards seducing the poor wretch, quite prepared to sacrifice myself to Maya''s wellbeing ¡ª and now I was a stranger haunting his digs? Haunting!


    Cesar cast a guilty glance in my general direction. He shrugged helplessly: you can see he''s in a state. "Sorry, Allison. I''ll take you home now. Have you had breakfast?"


    I didn''t give a damn about Robert being in a state. On my way to the office I''d kept thinking of a diplomatic way to let him know his daughter had been taken over by someone... something else. But now I''d thrown all diplomacy to the wind.


    "Sorry, Cesar, I have more important things to take care of," I said. "I was talking to Maya. Or should I say to the incubus?"


    "Maya?" Robert swing round. "Is she all right?"


    "You mean, to the succubus," Cesar corrected me mechanically. "Listen, it''s really serious. How about you have breakfast in town? I need to go get someone anyway."


    "I''m going to fetch whoever I choose," Robert said through clenched teeth. "No need for you to come back. And you, Allison, I''d really appreciate it if you forgot the way to-"


    "You two are fucking idiots!" I announced. "You have problems, can''t you see that?"


    Robert''s pale cheeks gained a bit of color. He wasn''t used to being interrupted. Indeed if looks could kill I''d have already lain there cold and stiff like an ice statue and equally beautiful with my arms across my chest. "It''s the incubus! The same demon that first possessed Arthur has now taken over Maya! Hello! Aren''t you listening?"


    "Impossible," Cesar snapped. "What makes you think so?"


    Robert shuddered. "Where''s Maya? Is she all right?"


    It had probably not been a good idea to be so blatant with him. I could have used some preparation, I suppose.


    "She came to my room and hit on me first thing in the morning. It''s up to you whether you believe me or not. I''m telling you the way it was."


    "A lesbian succubus?" Cesar exchanged concerned stares with Robert. "Allison, are you sure? You sure it wasn''t her attempt to swap bodies as happened to yourself the first time?"


    "Yes, I am sure! Why won''t you shut up and start using your heads!" I very nearly screamed the words at their faces. "It''s something very strange, don''t you understand? I did try to pull her out but she... he said, the incubus I mean, that he wanted me. He, not she, do you understand? Come on now, move it! Maya is unconscious in my room!"


    "She what?" Robert''s cool arrogance was gone. Shoving me out of the way, he darted out of the office. Cesar and I exchanged glances before following him.


    "I hope you know what you''re doing," Cesar managed, gasping for breath as we ran. "If you made it all up just to get to him..."


    "Bullshit," I snapped back. "You think I don''t understand this is serious? You''ll see in a moment."


    Robert was about to force the locked door when I arrived with the key. Cesar shouldered him aside while fiddling with the lock. We barged into the room, all three of us.


    "Jesus! Is she alive? She''s all white!"


    Maya lay on the bed as I''d left her with her hands tied in front of her. Her bound wrists were the first thing you noticed.


    "Why this? They''ll bruise her skin!" Robert began undoing the bathrobe sash.


    "Please don''t," I began.


    He swung round, all pale. The glare he gave me made me regret I''d said anything.


    "Out," he hissed. "It''s all your fault. Had it not been for you..."


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    I choked in indignation. So that''s how it was, then? "Fuck you," I said. "I''m not your whipping girl. You two forced me to come here. I was busy living my little life knowing nothing about any demons, and now you got me into this mess and are trying to make me the scape goat? Very well, then. You sort it out. I''m off. No need to take me. I''ll find my own way home."


    Cesar grabbed my hand, stopping my soliloquy.


    Maya opened her eyes and looked at her father.


    Robert recoiled, letting go of the herbal noose. The demon''s lecherous eyes stared at him.


    The incubus took in our confused faces, lingering on mine. A salacious grin parted Maya''s pale lips. "Allison. You''re still here..."


    She strained her arms, trying to get up. The noose creaked, about to fall apart. Cesar grabbed the sash that Robert had dropped by the bed and draped it over the girl''s wrists. She tried to worm herself free. Cesar attempted to shove her back onto the bed but the fragile girl pushed him off with remarkable ease and slid to the floor, then jumped up.


    Cesar and Robert exchanged glances and went for her. Robert was holding his daughter''s shoulders while Cesar secured the sash around her wrists.


    Apparently, the incubus had only just realized he''d been immobilized.


    "What''s that?" Maya inquired studying her wrists. "What''s going on here? Allison, I thought we were going out? Papa? Why have you restrained me?"


    Robert turned green with all the contradictory information. He could see the demon''s fiery red eyes and hear his daughter''s gentle voice, calling out to his paternal instincts. For a brief moment, I felt sorry for him. If the situation with Arthur had been more or less clear, with Maya the opposite was true. What was going on, after all? A male spirit in a female body, how was that possible?


    Maya stumbled. You could see that she was exhausted with the presence of the powerful controlling demon. The recent struggle had drained her. Unable to resist his parental instinct, Robert supported the girl.


    "It''s all right, princess," he mumbled. "I''m with you now."


    "Robert, it''s probably better if we take Maya to her room," Cesar said with badly concealed concern in his voice. "She needs to lie down."


    "No, I don''t!" Maya shuddered as if electrocuted. "Leave me alone! Get your hands off me!"


    She wrestled herself free of her father''s grip, but only to collapse into the embrace of the promptly arriving Cesar. He draped his arm around the girl''s shoulders, supporting her.


    We didn''t expect what happened next. Wriggling in Cesar''s arms, Maya turned to him, clinging to his lips in a passionate kiss. I gasped. Cesar struggled but she wouldn''t let him go. Was the incubus trying to escape? Cesar was going to catch him now!


    No, I realized, it''s the incubus trying to take over Cesar''s body.


    I dashed toward him realizing I was already late.


    Robert saved the situation without actually realizing it. He forced his daughter away from Cesar. For the first time I witnessed his face express a strong clear-cut emotion ¡ª that of uncontrollable animal fury. He was going to kill Cesar!


    Risking my own neck, I wedged myself in between the two. "Robert, the incubus wanted to take over Cesar, can''t you see? Switch on your brain now! Stop this good daddy nonsense!"


    Gradually his face lost some of its crimson hue. I could see him trying to control himself. Apparently he''d heard me.


    "I''ll take her," he croaked, lifting the girl in his arms.


    She was struggling in his clutches like a bird in a trap but to no avail. All of the demon''s power wasn''t enough to control Maya''s weak body. She slackened, laying her head on her father''s shoulder, allowing him to carry her away. As he walked past, she cast a pleading glance my way,


    "Allison... please don''t go."


    There was no way I could tell whether it was Maya or the incubus trapped inside her pleading for help.


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