Succubs on Top

'Confession time: I didn't have sex with you for altruism. You were right about that. And I didn't do it just because I could either. I did it because I wanted you. Because I wanted to be closer to you.' He touched my cheek and winked. 'You're worth ten Alessandras. You would be worth going to Guam for.'

'What about Omaha?'

'No one's worth going to Omaha for.'

I laughed. 'You're going to miss your flight.'

'Yeah.' He hugged me again, then hesitated before speaking. 'There's one more thing you need to know. The day after my, uh, idiotic drunken outburst, Seth came to see me.'

'What?' I racked my brain. That would have been during the time I was preparing for the Fest. 'Why?'

'He wanted to know what happened. Between us. All the details.'

'What'd you tell him?'

'The truth.'

I stared off at nothing.

'That guy's crazy about you,' Bastien said after a moment's silence. 'Love like that…well, hell itself has trouble standing against love like that, I think. I don't know if a succubus and a human can really make things work, but if it can happen, he'll be the one it happens with.' He hesitated. 'I think, no, I know I was a little jealous of that…both that he had your love and you had someone who loved you like that.' He gave me a bittersweet smile. 'Anyway. Good luck. I'm always here if you need me.'

'Thank you,' I said, hugging him again. 'Keep in touch. Maybe we'll get assigned together again some day.'

The roguish look, long absent during our solemn conversation, flashed to his face. 'Oh, the trouble we could cause. The world isn't ready for us again.'

He pressed a soft, sweet kiss against my lips, and then he was gone. A minute later, I felt Carter's presence behind me.

'Parting is such sweet sorrow.'

'That it is,' I agreed sadly. 'But that's life, mortal or immortal.'

'How's your high-wire act with Seth going?'

I turned to him, almost having forgotten that reference. 'Bad.'

'Did you look down?'

'Worse than that. I fell off. I fell off and hit bottom.'

The angel regarded me with his steady gaze. 'Then you'd better get back on.'

I choked on a bitter laugh. 'Is that possible?'

'Sure,' he said. 'As long as the wire hasn't snapped, you can always climb back on.'

I left him and walked a few blocks to catch a bus back to Queen Anne. While I was waiting, I blinked and did a double take as Jody walked by. I hadn't talked to her in ages. After the Dana scandal, Mitch and Tabitha Hunter had dropped off the face of the Earth.

I left the bus stop and ducked into a dark doorwayа laSuperman. A moment later, I hurried to catch up with her as Tabitha.

'Jody!'

She stopped and turned around. Her brown eyes widened when she recognized me.

'Tabitha,' she said uncertainly, waiting for me to get to her. 'It's good to see you.'

'You too. How are things?'

'Okay.' We stood there awkwardly. 'How are you? I mean, after everything…' Her cheeks crimsoned.

'You don't have to avoid the topic. I can deal with it,' I told her gently. 'It happened. Nothing to be done about it now.'

She looked down at her feet, clearly troubled. 'I've been wanting to tell you something. It wasn't…it wasn't just you, you know.' She looked back up, embarrassed. 'She sort of, you know, approached me too, and we did some things…things I didn't really want to do. But I couldn't say no either. Not to her. It was a rough time in my life…'

So. I wasn't Dana's first taste of forbidden fruit. The notion that she had forced Jody appalled me, more so than Dana throwing herself into rallies that denied her own nature. Suddenly, I didn't feel so sorry for her anymore.

'Then she got what she deserved,' I declared icily.

'Maybe,' said Jody, still looking upset. 'It's been a disaster for their family. I feel the worst for Reese. And then there's the CPFV…they're a disaster too.'

'Maybe it's for the best,' I said neutrally.

She gave me a sad half-smile. 'I know you don't believe in them, but they do have potential to do good. I'm actually on my way to a meeting right now. We're going to decide the fate of the group. I don't think we'll disband…but I don't know what direction we'll go in either. There are some people who think just like Dana. They're not a majority, but they're loud. Louder than people like me.'

I remembered our gardening conversation. 'And you still want some of the things you talked to me about? Helping those who need help now?'

'Yes. I wish I could walk right in there and speak up. If I could get enough people's attention, I think we could really go in a new direction. A better direction that might actually affect change instead of just censuring and calling people names.'

'Then you should do exactly that.'

'I can't. I don't have the skill to talk to people like that. I'm not that brave.'

'You have the passion.'

'Yeah, but is that enough if I can't get it out?'

Suddenly, I had to fight a giddy smile from taking over my face. 'I've got something for you,' I told her, reaching into my purse. 'Here. Take this.'

I handed her the last packet of ambrosia. It was dangerous, perhaps, to give it to a mortal, but one dose wouldn't hit her too badly, and she'd never be able to get more. Besides, taking the temptation away from me was probably for the best.

'What is this?'

'It's a, um, herbal supplement. Like an energy blend. Haven't you seen those?'

She frowned. 'Like ginseng or kava or whatever?'

'Yeah. I mean, it won't change your life, of course, but it always sort of gives me a kick. You just mix it in a drink and go from there.'

'Well, I was about to buy coffee…'

'That's perfect. And it can't hurt or anything.' Smiling, I squeezed her arm. 'Do it for me, so I'll feel like I've given you a good-luck charm.'

'Okay. Sure. I'll take it as soon as I get the coffee.' She glanced at her watch. 'I've got to take off now if I want to be on time. You take care of yourself, okay?'

'I will. Thanks. Good luck tonight.'

To my surprise, she gave me a quick hug and then disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians. As I rode the bus home, I found I felt better about myself than I had in days. I'd sort of wanted to save the ambrosia for next year's Emerald Lit Fest, but I supposed I wouldn't need it so long as I actually allowed myself two days instead of one. After all, a little leeway never hurt.

CHAPTER 23

The CPFV meeting didn't get nearly as much press as a hot lesbian affair did, but it still drew a reporter from the Seattle Times, as well as some other media attention.

Jody had delivered the speech of a lifetime at the meeting. She'd outlined a fully detailed vision for the CPFV, one that involved dropping the group's current attack on homosexuality. Her plan encouraged outreach to those in need, the same teen mothers and runaways she'd spoken to me about before. Since the CPFV had a national