Seducing the Succubus (26 page)

“Should we find Uriel first?”

She nodded. “Three would be better than one, or even two, especially when it comes to Semiazas.” Pain sliced through her as it always did when she thought of Semiazas—something she’d had to do too much of since his recent escape from incarceration.

She turned away from Raphael and then stopped. “Why do you think Lucifer hasn’t done anything to recapture Semiazas?” She had her own theories but wondered what Raphael’s take on the situation was. Gabriel had never been close to Lucifer, even before the fall, and definitely hadn’t spoken to him since.

“Lucifer is arrogant and thinks the universe revolves around his needs. He incarcerated Semiazas only because the plague was beginning to cause an imbalance in power that would rain down the wrath of Heaven upon his head. Since Semiazas has escaped, my guess is, the demon hasn’t done enough to warrant Lucifer’s attention.”

She nodded, not surprised that Raphael’s thoughts mirrored her own on the situation. “But that also means he won’t interfere with us until our actions actually affect him.” Gabriel turned back to look at Raphael over her shoulder.

“Exactly.”

“I’ll meet you at Uriel’s.”

Jezebeth
walked until her legs ached and her skin felt tight and dry over her bones. She’d hitched rides on and off throughout the day, even stealing a few deep kisses here and there from willing men along the way to keep up her energy—the succubi version of a snack. She’d had time and opportunity for more, but for some reason hadn’t felt comfortable while Noah was captive somewhere.

Night had fallen hours ago, and she’d nearly given up trying to find someone to hitch another ride with. Eloy, Arizona, wasn’t exactly a hotbed of weeknight activity. But with time dwindling until Uriel’s lair moved to Greece and worry about what was happening to Noah eating at her insides, she had no choice but to continue to force one foot in front of the other toward her destination and trust that things would work out in the end.

She rubbed her hands over her arms, a futile attempt to keep the chill night air at bay. Thoughts of her kiss with Noah flashed to the forefront of her mind, and her body warmed, not just with arousal but with something stronger and more comforting. She held the image of him healthy and whole inside her mind and kept moving forward.

Raphael would find Noah, and Noah would be fine. He had to be.

Jezebeth didn’t have the energy right now to contemplate any other outcome.

Headlights flashed behind her, illuminating the dark night, and she turned and stuck out her thumb, trying to look both sexy and harmless in her own form since she had no extra energy to change to a different one.

The small, compact car slowed and finally stopped several feet ahead of her. Jezebeth breathed a silent prayer of thanks and hoped the driver was someone with an abundance of energy to share as she jogged forward to lean down and look in the open passenger car window.

A teenage boy who was still growing into his features raked a concerned gaze over her. “You need a ride?”

Disappointment arrowed through her. Even if she were near death, she wouldn’t take energy from an underage innocent. After all, even succubi had morals. She forced a smile, and it felt like a very tired gesture. “I’d really appreciate a ride. I broke down hours ago. How far are you going?”

“I’m headed to Somerton.”

Jezebeth relaxed when she only sensed genuine concern from the boy—pure female intuition, not anything supernatural at work. She’d turned down a few rides earlier in the day because her instincts had told her to run rather than get inside those cars. As a succubus, she’d learned to follow her intuition to survive. She might not be worried about rape like human women, but being shot, chopped up, or otherwise hurt could weaken her to the point where something supernatural could kill her. “Is Somerton anywhere near Yuma?” she asked, recognizing the hope inside her voice.

The boy smiled. “Very near. Hop in. You look like you’ve been walking for a while. It’s not safe for a—for someone to be out here alone at night.”

She opened the car door and slid inside, smiling that he’d almost said it wasn’t safe for a woman to be out here alone at night but had changed it at the last minute in case he offended her. “I really appreciate it. I’m not sure I could walk another mile, let alone all the way to Yuma,” she said, trying not to let her teeth chatter from the cold.

The boy rolled up the power windows and turned up the heat. “No problem at all. I know you’re not supposed to pick up hitch-hikers, but if it was my mom out here walking alone at night, I’d hope that someone willing to help would stop.”

She smiled and huddled against the seat, wondering if he realized he’d just made a reference to her age—or at least the age she looked, which she’d been told was mid- to late twenties. Probably not. “I’m Jezebeth, and I really do appreciate this.”

“Darian.”

“Great to meet you, Darian.” She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. “I’ll put in a word for you to get back double good karma for helping me.” She was only half joking. After all, she did know quite a few low-level angels she’d done favors for over the years who could do something nice for the boy.

He laughed and shook his head. “That sounds exactly like something my mom would say. Just reinforces the idea that I did the right thing by picking you up.” He edged the heater up another notch and reached into the back seat for a coat. “Here you go. You look beat. Go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you when we hit Yuma.”

Too tired to argue, Jezebeth smiled at him through another yawn and then curled under the coat and leaned her head against the passenger window. She wrapped the memory of her kiss with Noah around her like a mantra for everything to turn out well in the end and let sleep take her.

Uriel
materialized inside Lilith’s throne room, not sure if he was welcome in her quarters any longer. The large black cavern looked much like he remembered it, although he hadn’t been here in centuries. In fact, before the previous day he hadn’t visited Lilith’s quarters since the day he’d given her this lair.

Memories flooded back hot and bright, and Uriel shoved them aside to concentrate on his current mission.

Evelin, one of Lilith’s servants, scurried forward wearing a gauzy red harem outfit. Her head was already bowed before she reached him, so he couldn’t see her face. “My lord, Uriel. How may I be of service?”

“I wish to see your mistress.”

Evelin glanced up, confusion evident in her expression. “My lord?”

Uriel ground his teeth. This is what he got for trying to respect Lilith’s new boundaries within their relationship. “I wish to see Lilith, Evelin. Please tell her I’m here in her throne room to see her.” His words were cutting, and Evelin managed a single nod before she turned and ran toward Lilith’s quarters.

Uriel waited impatiently, pacing the length of the large black cavern, wondering if he should’ve just gone straight to Lilith.

Several long minutes later, Lilith rushed into the room wearing only a black silk robe which stuck to her still-wet skin to outline the full curves of her body.

Uriel’s cock instantly hardened inside his slacks and he had to force his gaze up to Lilith’s face.

“Uriel?” She rushed forward until she stood so close he could feel the heat of her body—or maybe it was only his raging hormones.

He cleared his throat in a futile attempt to push back the thick lust that currently surged through every vein in his body. “Have you heard anything from Jezebeth’s companion?”

“The human?” Her dark brows furrowed, and he read the confusion in her gaze.

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “Is Jezebeth . . .”

“I don’t know.” He couldn’t resist reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder, but instantly regretted it as the moist warmth of her skin hummed against him—a blatant temptation, which described Lilith perfectly. “Raphael has seen her and she was on her way to Yuma to use my property as an entry point to your lair.”

Lilith blew out a slow breath and the strain in her features softened. “And her companion?”

“Taken by a demon. We’ve searched for him but can find no trace.”

Lilith cocked her head to the side, studying him, and as always seeing him much more clearly than he liked. “And why are Archangels looking for the human companion of a succubus?” Her voice was soft, but devoid of any emotion.

Uriel sighed, tempted to turn away so she couldn’t see his eyes, but instead, he held her gaze. The two of them had been through too much together, and he’d hurt her too much of late to lie to her even more. “Your four little succubi are deep in the middle of something that concerns the Archangels, although I can’t divulge what. I need to know if there’s any way to track the human.”

Lilith nodded slowly, once. Her expression was resigned, giving him the impression she accepted the limitation, but she didn’t like it. “Each companion carries one piece of jewelry you gave me.”

Uriel frowned as surprise hit him hard in the gut.

He’d assumed Lilith had stopped wearing his jewelry because of the recent unpleasantness between them. He should’ve realized she would be more practical than that. Those items imbued with her essence after so many years of her wearing them would render their wearers impervious to the effects of a succubus, enabling them to not only be protector but energy source as well.

He smiled and, before he could think better of it, leaned forward to brush a kiss across the soft skin of her cheek. “Thank you,
nassah
,” he said as he dematerialized to find Gabriel and Raphael.

Semiazas materialized in
Greece, the human draped over one arm like a very large garment bag. The tang of warm, salty air felt divine against his skin after his time spent back in Hell, and he vowed never to be sent back to seclusion again.

Those seven hundred years spent locked alone in a deep, dark pit of Hell had been torture. No sun on his skin, no companionship, no food, no pleasures or comforts of any kind. Only time for his anger to simmer and his plot for revenge to fully form.

He dropped Noah on the ground where he landed with a pained-sounding oof.

Only when several passersby stared did Semiazas realize the human was entirely naked and the humans only saw the man appear suspended off the ground and then drop to the dirt. Most humans couldn’t see anything supernatural, and the thought of what stories they would tell to explain this sight away amused him for only a second.

The man moaned and slowly sat up, probably just now realizing the damage from the torture done in Hell didn’t translate to his physical body.

A quick wave of his hand and the human was dressed in the clothes he’d been captured in. “All right, human. Here we are in Greece.” Semiazas turned in a slow circle enjoying the vivid colors and the soft sounds of laughter that carried on the breeze. “Where is your pet succubus?”

“I don’t know
where
in Greece.” The man stood slowly as if not sure to trust his body to support him or not.

“All right. You’re lucky I enjoy this place. Let’s do a little sight-seeing, shall we?”