The Telepathic Clans (The Telepathic Clans Saga, Books 1 and 2)

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The Telepathic Clans (The Telepathic Clans Saga, Books 1 and 2) Page 23

by Kingsolver, BR


  “It’s very pretty and it fits you very well. Definitely not something you’d wear to church, though.”

  Samantha spun back to look in the mirror again. “The only reason I’d be in a church would be to seduce the vicar, so actually I think it would go quite well.”

  She went through the three boxes of new clothes, trying them on then transferring them to suitcases. Two of the bags would go with her to New York that afternoon, the others would go to the hotel in DC when she got back.

  Under the assumption that the DC compound was under surveillance, Seamus would take Samantha and Siobhan to Baltimore via teleport. From there, a limo with their luggage would pick them up and take them to New York. She would fly back, establishing her presence in Washington.

  “Before we go, I have something I need to do. I’ll be ready around noon.”

  Rebecca gave her a questioning look, but when Samantha didn’t offer any additional information, let it go and watched her leave the room.

  Samantha sent a spear thread to Collin. Can you meet me in your room? There are a couple of things I need to discuss with you before I leave.

  She was waiting by his door when he arrived. He opened the door and she walked in, waiting for him in the middle of the room.

  “Brenna asked me to give you a message from her before I leave.” She turned her Glam up to medium, gave him a burst of pheromones, and began undressing. “The message is that no matter what, no matter who else she might be doing, she will save the best for you. And right now I’m the best she has.”

  Her dress pooled on the floor at her feet and she stalked toward him in bra, garter belt, hose and heels. It wasn’t Brenna. Samantha was a totally different woman, beautiful, voluptuous, fiery, her red hair swaying about her body, her blue eyes predatory.

  They made love for the next three hours, taking each other to a climax with hands and mouths. Making love until he was just short of climaxing, she pulled away from him and suckled him. Finally, she mounted and finished him, kissing him and draining him while his seed spilled inside her.

  “Good night, Collin, sleep well.”

  She dressed and sent a thought to Rebecca and Siobhan that she was ready.

  ~~~

  Siobhan O’Conner’s perfect features, high cheek bones and blue eyes had made her a photographers’ favorite when she worked as a model thirty-five years before. Now fifty-five, she looked to be in her early thirties.

  Siobhan worked primarily with politicians, the financial industry, and employees of large corporations in New York and London. Originally from a small village in northwest Ireland, her voice still carried a soft Irish lilt. She came from a long line of succubi. Her mother, both grandmothers, and three great and great-great grandmothers all had the Kashani Gift.

  Samantha’s education started her first night in New York. Rebecca would be working with Siobhan’s security team and after dinner they would trail the succubi, not travel with them.

  Siobhan took them to a very fancy restaurant in the financial district. Dressed in what Siobhan called ‘hunting clothes’ and a medium Glam, they turned heads as soon as they walked in the door. Siobhan had made reservations requesting a table in the center of the room. Rebecca, dressed in her sexiest clubbing dress, used a tight Charisma projection the way Cindy had shown her.

  I want to go clubbing in Chelsea after dinner, Siobhan told them, and if possible save on cab fare, so we’re going to find a couple of willing young men to take us there. What we’re scanning for are men out on the town for the evening, preferably two but no more than four, who either own or are renting a limo.

  Samantha was amazed at the specificity of this plan. A limo?

  We may have to settle for a cab, but four in the back seat of a cab is rather crowded, don’t you think? The clientele here are primarily Wall Street, so we should be able to find what we’re looking for. Enjoy your dinner, but while we eat scan the patrons for men who fit our target specifications.

  Siobhan pointed out men at various tables as possible candidates, but when they were eating their salads two men came in and sat a few tables away. Early thirties in business suits, they were obviously in a good mood and ordered champagne.

  There they are. Scan their minds, they work on a trading desk and made a killing today. They’re celebrating the large bonuses they expect. They’ve rented a limo, and told their wives they have to work late. Prime meat.

  She and Samantha began using Influence to draw the men’s attention to them, and by the end of their meal had received an invitation via the waiter to join the men for dessert. Rebecca excused herself and joined the Protectors at a table near the door.

  Leaving the restaurant, the four got into a limo. Siobhan immediately had the privacy window closed between the back and the driver, then flooded the passenger compartment with a pheromone burst. Samantha followed Siobhan’s lead, giving her gentleman a pheromone burst then unfastening his belt and pants and mounting him. When they arrived at their destination, they emerged from the limo with a pleasant Glow, leaving the two men passed out in the back.

  “We’re just going to leave them like that?”

  “No problem. Limo drivers in this town are used to dealing with drunken clients who pass out inconveniently. They’ll take them someplace until they sleep it off and charge them for the whole night. Now, let’s go have some fun.”

  There was a line to get into the club but Siobhan, cranking her Glam up to medium, led her to the front. She used Charisma and a subtle mental command to the doorman to let them in immediately and without a cover charge. Trailing in her wake, Samantha stared with her mouth open.

  Inside the club, Siobhan led her to the bar where a busy bartender dropped what he was doing and rushed to prepare their drinks. Scanning the room, Siobhan pointed to a circular booth in a dark corner. That’s where we’re going to sit. It’s in a perfect location to see the whole room, and out of the way enough that no one will stumble over us.

  She led the way across the club, people parting for them so that they weren’t even jostled. Approaching the two couples sitting at the table, Siobhan said with a smile, “Thank you for holding our table for us.” The four immediately got up and moved away.

  Don’t you ever feel guilty manipulating people like that?

  Not in the slightest. The world is an often nasty and unforgiving place. People with money and power use it to make their lives more pleasant and no one thinks twice about it. We have power also, and I haven’t hurt anyone tonight. If you check, you’ll see that the bouncer, the bartender, and those four kids all feel privileged to have accommodated me and their lives have been enhanced by meeting me. Arrogant? You bet. Entitled? You bet. Would you rather be standing outside in the cold?

  They sat and a waitress hurried over to wipe the table and ask if there was anything they needed.

  Now, do you see any men that strike your fancy? Sometimes you just need to catch a quick Glow and don’t have the time or inclination to go through the whole seduction and bed thing. We’re going to make ourselves invisible to everyone around us by blurring their perceptions. When they look in this direction, they won’t register anything they see. We’ll use Influence selectively to draw the men we want to us.

  In amazement, Samantha watched as Siobhan sat and sipped her drink while a tall, handsome young man wandered over to their table. Siobhan patted the seat beside her and he sat down. She gave him a pheromone burst and leaned over and kissed him. He undid his pants and she hiked up her skirt and mounted him. Wide-eyed, Samantha looked around and saw that no one was looking at them.

  No one noticed what was going on at their table, even the people sitting at the next booth. For the next twenty minutes Siobhan had sex with the man and no one took any notice, even people walking by within a few feet of them. When they finished, the man slumped and fell asleep. Siobhan stood, straightened her clothes and announced she was going to the restroom. She told Samantha to choose a target and influence him to
come to their table while she was gone.

  You’re kidding. I can’t do that in public.

  And why not? Scan the minds around you. No one saw a thing. Of course, if you’re that shy, you can take one to the ladies room and do him in a stall, or commandeer a back office, or, although it’s a bit chilly tonight, take him outside and do him in the alley, but this is far more comfortable and warm.

  Does Cindy do things like this?

  Honey, every succubus does things like this. Everyone has their own preference for where they hunt and how they do it, but this particular gambit was taught me by Brenna’s mother. It’s fast, it’s clean, and it’s comfortable. If you like it standing up, or doggie style, you can clear out a dark corner and use a wall as a prop. I once saw a succubus take a man on the dance floor, but my exhibitionistic tendencies don’t go quite that far. Even if no one can really see you, it just feels so exposed, and the number of people you would have to blur is pretty extreme.

  When Siobhan returned, a tall, blonde man sat with Samantha. I’m going to take your suggestion and take him over there, she pointed to the corner behind their booth, a few feet away. Siobhan nodded.

  Samantha stood and walked into the shadows, the young man, already glazed from her pheromones, followed her. They had sex standing, Samantha’s back against the wall. Even though she projected a mental blurring that rendered them invisible to the people around them, the feeling of engaging in a forbidden and shocking act was exhilarating. With the music pounding and people gyrating on the dance floor around them, she felt like a pagan priestess engaged in a bacchanalistic ritual. He climaxed, his energy pouring into her and enhancing her orgasm, the Glow spread through her, and she didn’t feel even a bit guilty when he slumped to the floor.

  Returning to their table, she watched Siobhan take another man right next to the slumbering man she had taken earlier. Samantha watched for a bit then turned her attention back to the crowd. She scanned the crowd with her mind. The sexual tension in the air was palpable. With the Glow of his energy running through her, she realized she wasn’t very different from the other people in the room. They were doing the same thing she was, but she was better prepared, more organized, and had the tools to be more successful than everyone else. None of them felt guilty about what they were doing, and if they scored they wouldn’t feel guilty in the morning.

  Sudden curiosity led her to rise, boost her Glam to medium and walk across the dance floor to the bar, her mind open to reading those about her. Admiration, lust, and envy were the predominant emotions, with some anger and jealousy. Condemnation and moral outrage were nonexistent. She ordered a drink at the bar, giving the bartender a very small puff of pheromones, and he told her there was no charge.

  She turned and stood there, watching the men and women who were watching her. She had the attention of at least half the room. The men wanted her and the women wanted to be like her. Both wanted to know her, be closer to her. The rush of gratification that flooded her was almost as intense as the Glow she’d gained from having sex.

  She walked back to their table, feeling a hundred eyes on her the entire way. She sat down next to Siobhan and the two sleeping men.

  “Do you understand now? It’s like any ecosystem, the African savannah, the Canadian forests, the ocean. There are predators and prey, and we’re at the top of the food chain. We’re not doing anything different than they’re doing to each other, we just do it better because we’re more qualified. You’ve got a Glow on, feel marvelous, and how wonderful did that stroll across the club make you feel?”

  Samantha smiled, “So this is why you go hunting, the gratification, the pleasure, the Glow. I feel on top of the world, like a goddess. Does it ever get old?”

  A shadow passed briefly over Siobhan’s face. “As I get older, I want something more, a relationship, someone to truly love me. A succubus is lonely, and that’s really no fun. But the hunt, the pleasure, the Glow, no, that never gets old. It becomes what you turn to when the loneliness grows too intense. It’s what we have in exchange for the sacrifice our Gift demands from us. You can deny your Gift and decide never to use it, but then you’ll have nothing but the loneliness.”

  She glanced around. “I don’t like this band that much. Do you want to take another before we leave, or are you set for now?”

  They hit three more bars that night, having sex with men in each one. At three o’clock in the morning Siobhan signaled their escort. A limo showed up outside the club and took them back to her apartment. Samantha was extremely aware of Rebecca watching them.

  When they got back to the apartment, Siobhan bid them good night, and informed them they would be going to brunch about 10:30 in the morning.

  Rebecca followed Samantha to her room. “So what did you think of your first night out as a succubus-hunter in Manhattan? You’ve got a hell of a Glow on.”

  Samantha studied the other woman carefully. “Before I answer that, why don’t you tell me what you think about what you observed tonight, and what you think and feel about me? I know what I feel, but I need to know what someone outside me, a non-succubus feels.”

  “Am I talking to Samantha or Brenna?”

  “Samantha, of course, Brenna is just watching. If you want to know how Brenna feels, you’ll have to wait until she gets back. Samantha is asking the question, but Brenna will remember the answer.” She cocked her head, studying Rebecca. “Are you having a hard time with this, with separating us? Should you step back until all this is over?”

  Rebecca reflected on this and on her feelings, her thoughts as she had watched the succubi through the evening. “Envious, mostly, at how easy it is for you. Shocked and outraged at what you did, and envious that I can’t join you in doing it. I’ve heard Cindy and others talk about succubi as predators, but it doesn’t really hit home until you’ve seen it. It’s like if a cheetah could walk invisibly into a herd, eat any animal it chooses, and then leave the bones for the others to find without them ever knowing it had been there. It seems unfair.

  “My God, the audacity of screwing someone in the middle of a crowded club, in plain sight, using your Talents to mask it, and then drawing another victim in and doing it again. It seems so callous. You’re treating them as though they aren’t really human, truly as though they’re prey you’re feeding on.”

  Samantha shrugged, playing with her necklace. She didn’t meet Rebecca’s eyes. “What I feel is good, better than I’ve ever felt in my life. The life energy of eight men running through my system makes me feel powerful and strong. I don’t feel guilty at all.”

  Her head turned, fixing Rebecca with hard, glowing eyes. “Every one of them would have taken you and left you lying on the floor without a thought as to how you felt. They treat the women they pick up like free whores. I was in their minds, and I know that’s how they view women.”

  Her mouth quirked into a sardonic smile, “I didn’t take a single man tonight who has the tiniest shred of respect for women. I had you build the ethics and morality Brenna thinks are important into my construct. It’s not mindless predation.”

  ~~~

  In the morning Siobhan had her dress in a flirty but relatively demure dress and took her to a restaurant across from a luxury hotel in the financial district. “We’re going to have brunch and target a couple of businessmen who are staying in the hotel. Look for someone who doesn’t have any important meetings today. This is a place to gather market and product intelligence we’ll feed back to the corporation. Mergers, buyouts, insider trading information, new products or contracts that will affect a company’s fortunes, those are the types of things I gather here.”

  The techniques Siobhan had her use were very similar to those Cindy had shown Brenna. Flirting, Influence, judicious use of her Glamour, and bursts of pheromones tightly targeted. Soon she scored with an executive in town working on new financing for an expansion in China.

  They went to his room in the hotel across the street. She gave him a puff of pheromones in t
he elevator, and when they were in his room she gave him a full burst and turned her Glam up to medium. In less than five minutes, she was stripped down to her garter belt, hose and heels and he was taking her from behind on the bed. Even with the Glow she had from the previous night, his energy feeding her orgasm made her feel triumphant and exhilarated.

  As she dressed, she read his mind, storing away all the details of his company’s operations and planned expansion in China. She also found information concerning a strategic partnership with a company that competed with an O’Donnell subsidiary in an important market segment.

  Meeting Siobhan in the lobby, she transferred the information to the other succubus. In return, Siobhan explained that her own target was a technical architect. He was in town as part of a team working on financing for a federal contract implementing new computer security software for the military. “Collin will be interested in the technology, and though the information doesn’t have specific financial benefit for us, it will help upgrade our technology,” she told Samantha.

  That evening they had dinner at a midtown restaurant frequented by executives of several large corporations headquartered nearby. Siobhan coached Brenna to target and seduce a top executive. He took her to a nearby hotel, where she drained him and plundered his mind.

  The following evening, Siobhan had an invitation for a charity cocktail party and dinner at a luxury hotel near Central Park. Dressed in one of Brenna’s mother’s evening gowns, Samantha was introduced to several of New York’s politicians, both state and city, and a U.S. senator. Siobhan told her that a seduction at this type of affair wasn’t the main objective, but rather networking, meeting people and general intelligence gathering.

  “Siobhan, there are other telepaths here. Do you feel them?”

  “Yes. I know some of them, one is Clan and a couple more are Clan allies.”

  “There’s another succubus, can you feel her?” Samantha guided Siobhan to the woman with her mind. “Her shields are really leaky, and she feels confused.”

 

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