'Joke all you want,' the vampire said, 'but you have to have a Christmas tree. Oh, yeah—you also have to draw a name for Secret Santas.'
I groaned. 'Are we doing that again?'
'Let me go get the cup,' he said, trotting to the other side of the kitchen.
I looked at the other two. 'A vampire obsessed with Christmas. That has to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard.'
'No weirder than an angel burning down a Christmas tree,' pointed out Cody.
Peter returned with a reindeer mug that held a few folded pieces of paper. He held it out to me. 'Not many left. Pick.'
I pulled out a slip and opened it. Carter.
'Son of a bitch,' I swore. 'I hate Christmas.'
'You do not,' said Peter. 'You just have to get a tree. Then you'll feel better.'
My eyes drifted from the star, down to Tawny and Niphon. 'What I have to do is get out of here,' I told them, setting my glass on the counter.
I made my good-byes to them and endured a bit more teasing about my new mentoring job. As I walked to the door, I overheard Jerome saying to Grace, '…but I'll be out of town for a few days.'
I suddenly realized I needed to ask him something. 'Hey, Jerome.'
He turned from the demoness, shooting me an impatient look. In as few words as possible, I recapped how I'd woken up without the energy I'd stolen the previous night. Jerome listened, looking bored.
'What'd you do last night? Bursts of shape-shifting? Rocket science? Heavy lifting?'
I didn't need him to tell me what sorts of things would burn through my energy. 'I didn't do any of those things. I just slept. I did dream, though.'
'Dreams only suck the life out of humans, not us,' he remarked dryly. 'It's what keeps Hell in business.' Seeing my expression, he sighed. 'It's probably nothing, Georgie. Mental exhaustion'll do it. You probably spent the whole night unconsciously wrestling with sexual temptation.'
I didn't appreciate his flippant answer, but there was nothing I could do about it. I left the party, driving home at a reasonable speed limit this time. As soon as I cleared the door, I tossed that ridiculous manual to the floor. It landed with a ground-shaking thump that made my cat Aubrey puff up her tail.
'Sorry,' I mumbled, scratching her black-speckled head in consolation.
Traipsing to the bedroom, I promptly dialed Seth on my cell phone.
'Hey,' he said.
'Hey. You have to come over here tonight.'
A pause. 'Well, I could, but…'
'Oh, come on! You won't believe what I just went through. We're getting another succubus.'
He paused again. 'I'm not really sure how to respond to that.'
'Respond by getting your ass over here. I need you.'
'Thetis…I'm so close to the end here. Four chapters away. And I got this idea while we were having breakfast…'
I groaned. Cady and O'Neill had defeated me again. Before actually meeting Seth, I'd worshipped him from afar as a literary genius, reading his novels over and over. Now I knew the dark truth about being a bestselling author's girlfriend.
Hearing my silence, he reluctantly added: 'But, I mean, if you really need me…'
'No, no. Don't worry about it. It's okay.'
'You don't sound like it's okay. I know how women work. You say that, then you'll hold a grudge against me forever. Literally.'
'No, really. It's fine. I'll be seeing you tomorrow anyway. Besides, as soon as I get out of this dress, I'm just going to pass out anyway.' No way was I starting that procedural tome.
'You're wearing a dress?'
'Yup.'
'You weren't wearing one earlier. What's it look like?'
I started laughing. 'Ooh…are you trying to have phone sex with me?'
'Phone sex? Hardly. We haven't even had a phone first date.'
'It's not that hard. You see, I tell you how the dress has a really low neckline with nothing underneath. Then, you tell me how you'll reach out and peel it off and stroke my—'
'Oh my God. No. We are not doing this.'
Typical Seth. He could write sex scenes that set the page on fire or dialogue clever enough to impress even me. Make him vocalize any of it, and he choked up. He was shy around others, fearful in large groups, and much happier staying an unnoticed listener. I sympathized but sometimes had trouble really comprehending it, considering how often I became the center of attention. I liked to think he'd improved a bit since we got together, but he had a long way to go.
'It just takes practice. Here, I'll help you. Picture it. I'm getting on my knees and slowly unfastening your pants—'
'Okay, look. If you really want to go through with this, I'd be happy to, you know, go get on my computer and IM it…'
'Oh good grief. Go work on your book.'
I hung up the phone and sat down on my bed. Good Lord. My weekend had taken an abrupt U-turn. Like it or not, I supposed it had been only a matter of time before a new succubus joined the ranks here. Seattle had grown significantly over the years, and I could only do so much. But a green succubus? One I had to train up? If I hadn't known such administrative decisions were out of the demon's hands, I would have accused Jerome of doing it on purpose. It was on par with his sense of humor. Why couldn't we have just gotten some antisocial pro who did her job without ever interacting with me?
And Niphon…well, that was the coup de gras. I didn't like being reminded of my past, and I didn't like him. Something told me he had it in for me, though I couldn't entirely fathom why. He'd bought my soul and recruited my eternal services. What more was there? Wait and see, a warning voice whispered in my head. I shivered. Tawny couldn't make her first score a moment too soon.
Suddenly, I didn't feel like passing out after all. I wanted to go out. Not for a victim or anything…just to, well, be out. Grab a drink. Do a little flirting. It might salvage the train wreck I'd just endured.
I headed downtown to the Cellar, a favorite watering hole for local immortals. After Tawny's coming-out party tonight, I doubted anyone I knew would be there. A little alone time suited me just fine. Yet, as I entered the crowded bar and slipped through the drinking, laughing patrons, I felt a cool sensation tickle my immortal senses. It made me think of crystal and ozone.
Scanning around, I finally found Carter sitting across the room at a round table. Seattle's most powerful angel—and the one who had burned down my Christmas tree—had sensed me too, and a slight smile curled his lips in greeting. Although he naturally hadn't been at Hell's all staff meeting, he did have a tendency to hang out with my little clique. It had weirded me out at first, but I'd since come to view him as a normal fixture in my life, albeit a strange and badly dressed one.
More startling than seeing him out tonight, however, was his assortment of companions. Three angels and a human—none of whom I'd ever met before. All of them watched me, displaying curiosity and—for one of them— scorn at my presence. Whatever. He could scorn all he wanted. It would take more than an angel posse to get to me after everything I'd experienced today. Carter's company did strike me as odd; I'd never known him to work with others. A grudging curiosity rose up within me, wondering what could have brought them all together—with a human, no less.
Noting my scrutiny, Carter winked and made a small gesture of invitation, much to the astonishment of two of the angels. I nodded back in acknowledgement, first stopping by the bar to get a vodka gimlet.
When I walked over a minute later, I put on my best saucy succubus attitude and pulled up a chair beside Carter.
'Well, well,' I said. 'I feel like it's Rush weekend or something. We're all entertaining guests, huh?'
'So I hear,' he said. He absentmindedly ran a hand through his chin-length blond hair. Unless I was mistaken, it had been washed for the first time in six months. These guests must be serious. 'I also hear one of yours is of a
