“You’re happy?” I asked, amazed.
“Yes! My mom is safe, and the house and all that crap are gone. Plus, the place was insured. Once the property’s been cleared, I can sell it off and never have to deal with it again.” Then he grew sober. “Do you know how it happened?”
I thought about William’s suggestion of the gas can and matches and flinched. I certainly hoped he had nothing to do with it. “No.”
“Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later,” he said. “I’m just glad my mom made it out okay. How’s she doing now?”
I peeked into the living room where Doris was petting Drinking Tea and sipping her coffee. “Surprisingly well.”
He gave a sigh of relief. “Good. Maybe now that all the trash is gone, her root chakra can open up again.”
“Maybe. Although, her attitude will probably change once she wraps her mind around everything she lost in the fire,” I said. “She’ll need treatment.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll make sure she gets it.” He hesitated. “Have you told Jasmine your secret yet?”
“I’m doing it this afternoon. I’m also telling my dad and Evelyn the whole story.” The thought of it worried me nearly as much as facing down Helen. “Could you join us?”
“As soon as I get my mom situated in a hotel room, I’ll be there,” he said. “And don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”
I could only hope.
When I hung up, I once again heard the jingle of tiny bells. A moment later, Calamity pranced into my bedroom. She wagged her tail happily and blew a tiny, blue flame from her mouth. William was right. His pet knew how to breathe fire. In fact, the little demon would probably make an excellent acetylene torch.
I froze. “Calamity, did you burn down Doris’s house?”
I’d meant the question rhetorically, but the little demon winked shrewdly. Then, while I gaped, she trotted back into the otherworld.
Evelyn, her forehead puckered with worry, met me at the door. “You sounded upset when you called. Is everything okay?”
I managed a tense smile. “Not really.”
“Is Grace all right?”
“Yes,” I assured her. “Is Jasmine here?”
“I told her you wanted to talk with all of us,” Evelyn said, “but I don’t know if she’ll come out of her room.”
When Tommy arrived, however, the sound of his voice lured my stepsister into the living room with the rest of us. Without a word, she pressed herself into a corner of the couch and drew her knees up. I wanted to hug her, but she avoided my eyes.
Tommy, on the other hand, nearly pulsed with energy. His infectious smile had finally returned. He enthusiastically hugged Evelyn and shook hands with my father. He greeted me warmly.
“You seem to be feeling much better,” my father said, surprised.
“I am,” Tommy agreed. He glanced at sad, sullen Jasmine. “I’m much, much better,” he said, speaking only to her. After a moment’s hesitation, he sat by her side.
Evelyn, ever the hostess, poured coffee and passed around a tray of cookies which no one wanted to eat. Finally, when everyone was assembled, I stood nervously in front of them unsure how to begin. I didn’t know if I could make my family believe me. And if they believed me, I worried that they wouldn’t accept me for what I was.
Seeing my hesitation, my dad said, “It’s okay. Whatever you have to tell us, we’re here for you.” Evelyn murmured in agreement.
They probably thought I was about to confess to drug addiction or alcohol abuse. If only my problem was so mundane! I cleared my throat. “Remember our dinner, Dad? You told me that you thought my mother was mentally ill. And that I’d been acting like her?”
Struggling to hang onto his calm, he said, “Yes.”
“Well, you were right. I’m in the same situation my mother was, but mental illness isn’t the issue.” I cleared my throat. “I’m a succubus just like she was. I’m part demon.”
Only Tommy didn’t look shocked. Now that I’d admitted to being a succubus, they all probably thought I
was
insane.
I explained about Sarah Goodswain, the one who created the contract with the Devil in the first place. I told them about the line of succubi leading up to my mother, and how my mother had been ordered to get pregnant with me so the line would continue. Then I told them about a few of my less-horrible adventures.
I certainly had their attention. Every eye on the room focused on me. Unfortunately, I could see that they didn’t believe me. Only Tommy understood, but his reassurances didn’t convince the rest of them.
Then William came into the room. I knew he was merely using a hellish doorway, but to the others, he appeared out of thin air.
Evelyn cried out, and my father stood up in alarm, knocking over the cookie tray. Jas shrieked in terror and clung to Tommy’s arm. For fifteen seconds, the room was in an uproar as William attempted to calm my dad and Evelyn, and Tommy and I wrestled the phone away from Jasmine who was trying to dial 9-1-1. When I was sure that no one was fainting, screaming, or calling the police, I started my explanation again.
“This is William Darcy. He’s an incubus, which is a male version of me.”
Slowly, the fog lifted from my dad’s eyes. “Have we met before?” he asked.
“Once,” William said. “I was a friend of Carrie’s, and she brought me to a cocktail party you were hosting. We discussed tea cultivars, I believe.”
My father nodded as he examined William from top to bottom. “My God, you haven’t aged a bit!”
William smiled. “It’s one of the benefits of being part demon.”
Evelyn looked from my father to William and back again. “I can’t believe this,” she said. “It can’t possibly be true.”
Jasmine stared. “I’ve seen you, too! At Lilith’s apartment.”
My dad’s stunned expression became one of wonder. My bizarre story must have explained a lot. “So Carrie was a succubus? A seducer of men?”
William nodded. “That’s right.”
“And now Lilith must do the same thing?” The wonder in his face was rapidly becoming fear.
I pressed my lips together and nodded.
“You said the curse passes from generation to generation,” Evelyn said. Her eyes met mine. “What does this mean for Grace?”
Leave it to my dad’s wife to figure out the crux of the matter. “Grace would have been next in line,” I said, “but I got Helen to amend my contract so that it will skip a generation.”
“But if you get pregnant again? Or if Grace has a daughter?” Evelyn asked.
I dropped my eyes. “The curse will continue.”
“Over my dead body!” My dad clenched his fists. “I won’t rest until you’re free of this. Whatever it takes, I’m with you.”
“Me, too,” Evelyn said.
My dad, of course, did not understand what he was saying. Five minutes with Helen Spry would have convinced him that getting free of the contract was impossible. Yet, his support gave me courage. Tommy had been right. It was much better to bear this burden with others than to try to do it alone.
Jasmine, still sad and afraid, sat rigidly on the couch. So, as much as I didn’t want to, I told them the rest of my story, explaining how I’d used Tommy to appease Helen in order to save Grace. My face flushed as I admitted what I’d done, and I begged forgiveness from Tommy and Jasmine.
Jas stared at me wide-eyed. “Is that true?”
Tommy nodded. “Yes.”
Jasmine’s lower lip trembled. “What an effed-up mess.”
I nodded.
“But she released me,” Tommy said. “Last night, Lilith recalled her demon. I’m no longer in its power.”
At this, my dad closed his eyes. He must have been remembering how he’d been tied to my mother for all those years.
Jasmine blinked back tears. “But what about your tattoo of Lilith’s name?”
“My fault,” I said. “My demon had her claws deep into him, and he thought he was in love with me.”
“I love
you
, Jas,” Tommy said, “and I’ll wait as long as it takes to win you back.”
She kept her eyes on the floor. “We need to talk this over.”
“Of course.” He risked taking her hand, and she allowed it. “Anything.”
Without a word to the rest of us, the two of them left the room. The kitchen door closed, and a moment later, Jasmine’s car backed out of the driveway.
“Do you think there’s hope for them?” my dad asked.
“Real love can withstand anything. Even a demon’s curse. You should know that better than anyone, Simon,” Evelyn said. Her hand sought out my dad’s, and he grabbed a hold like it was a lifeline.
That night, as I drifted off to sleep, I heard music. Rubbing my eyes, I went down the hall and found William leaning against the fireplace mantel. Hundreds of fairy lights transformed my living room into a magical place. Unchained Melody played over the stereo.
William held out his hands. “Dance with me.”
I willingly accepted. His arms were strong, and his step sure. For such a tall man, he danced lightly, sweeping me along with him. When the song ended, it was replaced by the haunting melody of At Last.
For a while, I contentedly rested my cheek against his shoulder while he embraced me. Finally, I raised my head. “Are we celebrating something?”
“Your victory, of course.” But there was a hint of sadness behind his smile.
“What else?”
“I came to ask you
a favor.”
“Of course,” I said.
“Would you take care of Calamity for me?”
I frowned. “Why?”
“I’m going away for a while.”
“What?! Where?”
“Somewhere I hope Helen can’t find me.”
I tried to struggle out of his embrace, but he held on too tightly. “What are you talking about?” I asked. “William, you’re scaring me!”
“I’m useless as an incubus because I’ve lost my will to do the job.” He looked into my eyes. “When we met, I wanted only one thing: to use you for as much pleasure as I could. But you stole my heart. I love you, Lilith Straight, like no man has ever loved a woman.” He kissed me. A sweet, slow kiss that sealed his place in my heart.
“Don’t leave,” I begged when I could finally breathe again. “You can’t!”
His expression clouded. “If I don’t, Helen will send me to the deepest reaches of Hell for breaking my contract. I’d risk that for you, but I refuse to give her the satisfaction. You’ve made me strong enough to fight back. I’ll run until, hopefully, I find a way to free myself.”
I wanted to go with him, but it was impossible. I had my daughter to think about as well as Ariel and the rest of my family. If I disappeared from Helen’s sight, she’d use them to bring me back.
“I’ll find a way to save you,” I said. “I swear it.”
“Somehow, I believe that,” he said. “You’ve given me the courage to fight instead of giving up.” He kissed me again. “I promise to visit you whenever I can, but if Helen catches me first, remember I went to Hell with my love for you intact. I will never stop loving you. Never!”