Counterpart (Succubi & Incubi Assn.)

  “What exactly has Tori done to you to make you hate her, Maya?” Rosa asked curiously

  She stole Tristan from me. “Nothing. I just don't like her. Do I need a reason?”

  “The connection to the human boy,” she murmured more to herself, but it wasn't going to stop me from getting into defensive mode.

  “I'm not falling for Tristan.”

  “I didn't say anything about falling.” Her smile grew smug. “Or mentioning his name for that matter.”

  “Well...” I tried to come up with a reliable come-back, but nada was going on in my head. “I'm not.”

  She turned her head away from me and to the group behind her—that were just casually standing there, like they did it every day. “You are dismissed, leave Maya and I alone. Ethan, you stay.” She turned back to me. “Maya, let me tell you a story.”

  The group vanished from behind her, only leaving Ethan who had taken a spot on the right side of me, by the wall.

  I hesitated. She wanted to tell me a story? “I'm not really a bedtime story type of girl. I grew out of that when my parents refused to read them to me.”

  Rosa let out a short laugh. “Please, take a seat.”

  Take a seat? And where was I going to take a—oh. A chair had appeared out of nowhere and sat beside me. I knew for a fact that it wasn't there before. And just because of that, I was almost worried that I was seeing things.

  Another chair sat across from the one I was supposed to sit on, and I couldn’t help but notice that there was no seat for Ethan. I kind of felt like gloating about it, but I refrained. He can do things that I’m not prepared to be the victim of.

  Once I sat down—all while making sure the chair didn’t disappear as fast as it appeared—Rosa sat across from me and said, “Maya, tell me. What do you know about the history of the succubi and incubi?”

  This was an easy question. “Nothing, just that we're life sucking bitches, thanks to Google.”

  “Ah, you took my advice. Well, yes, that is partially true if I do say so myself.” She fluffed out the bottom of her dress and flattened away the imaginary crinkles. “But no. The original succubus was created by the devil himself. That succubus was given the power to create more succubi and incubi, and she did. Eventually there were five of both succubi and incubi. That was enough, at the time. The first creation though was a young woman named Bethany, who was just as powerful as her creator. Oh how Bethany was a great succubus, one to look up to. Then one day, everything went downhill for every succubus and incubus in that town.”

  Considering I didn’t want to hear this story before, I found myself becoming intrigued by the second. “What happened?”

  Rosa paused long enough that the silence was killing me, and by the time the words came out, I was almost on the floor.

  “She fell for a human.”

  Fifteen – Meet Bethany and Conrad

  April 13th - 14th 1878

  Bethany moved her lips from the man underneath her. He was being a very devious character tonight, and he wasn't having any of the fun Bethany would usually put on him.

  “Conrad, my love,” she murmured, resisting the urge to sigh against his perfectly soft lips, “I must go. I have some things I have to get done.”

  There was low groan from the throat of Conrad and Bethany was sure that his hands tightened on her hips the slightest. A sign of his non-liking to see her go. There was no one inside the house except for them, and that was how they liked it. The mansion rested on the outskirts of town, obscured by a seat of trees for privacy. It was perfect.

  Meeting Conrad was one of the unexpected events that came into Bethany’s life. At first, she was in denial by her feelings. Now she can’t seem to get enough of the human. Plus, he seemed to always surprise her.

  Generosity had to be her favorite thing about the man. The way he never let a day go by without putting a smile on someone’s face—especially children. He loved being around them in the mornings, watching them be devious amongst the crowds. And whenever Conrad had the chance, he always managed to hand over gifts for them and the homeless.

  He would do anything he could, as long as it led to happiness.

  That’s how Bethany knew Conrad was the one—her soul mate.

  The one she made immune to her demonology.

  “Must you go so soon?” Conrad murmured, burying his face into the midst of her dark brown hair. He loved touching her hair, looking into her dark hazel eyes, taking in the sweet scent of her aroma while trailing his fingers over the softness of her skin. It was like heaven to him.

  Bethany smiled at his movements, running her own fingers through his light brown hair. “As much as I would love to stay and pleasure you, I do have to leave. There are some things I must do. I promise to be back tomorrow.”

  He sighed—knowing full well what she was doing—and pressed his lips down on the skin of her shoulder. “I shall be here waiting, Bethany.”

  Bethany moved her head so her lips hovered over his. “You are too good for me.” It sent guilt through her, knowing what she was leaving Conrad to do. She needed to fulfill the demoness inside her. Conrad could not do that. The day she tainted his soul with her own was the day she knew she couldn't take his energy from him. It was a risk they were both willing to take. And in the end, it was all worth it.

  But there were still limits every now and then.

  “You know I love you, Conrad.” She could not resist but lightly brush her nose against his. “Whatever I do, I am always thinking about you.”

  “Bethany Judith Smith,” he whispered. Smooth hands cradled her cheeks, the pads of his thumbs rubbing soothing circles along her cheeks. “I love you, and I trust you with every inch of me. I want you alive, and this is how I get to keep you. Never will I regret the decisions I have made.”

  Bethany’s lips pulled up into a grin, his words sending the now familiar light feeling through her—also called 'butterflies'. She had learned this from him. “I can not wait to come back and be in your arms again.”

  Suddenly, Bethany was on her back, Conrad’s lips hovering over her own, except he was smirking. “When you return, we are not leaving this bed.”

  Determination showed in his brown eyes. The thought of staying in his bed almost distracted her from what she was doing, but the demon inside her wasn’t going to make her fully forget.

  “I am looking forward to it,” she whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss on the side of his mouth. “I will see you soon, my love.”

  Leaving him was hard. It wasn't what she wanted to do, and going to sleep with another man sickened her. But she needed to survive—to stay alive—and keep her demon happy.

  A happy demon meant a happy Bethany.

  ****

  The next morning felt like a typical morning in the house. And it was. Before sleep took over her, Bethany had a disagreement with her older sister, Cassandra, a normal occurrence in the Smith mansion.

  Cassandra didn't understand the affection that Bethany had with Conrad, the way they felt for one another. Cassandra treated it like it was a disgrace. And Bethany could understand her sister’s point of view, but Conrad was different. It saddened Bethany to know that her own sister would never approve.

  Bethany walked around the family mansion. Her parents had passed on over five years ago, leaving everything for Bethany and Cassandra to look after.

  There was an off feeling in the air when Bethany walked down the large staircase. The house creaked slightly under her feet. The trees outside the window swayed with the breeze while an overcast of clouds lingered in the sky, making it seem like it was more the evening than the morning.

  “Cassandra?” Bethany called out, her voice echoing, but yet no reply came. Bethany wondered if her sister was still angry with her and had decided to leave for the day. There was nothing Bethany could do. She wanted to talk to Cassandra more, help her understand, but it looks like that won't be happening today.

  She straightened out the non-exis
tent crinkles on her dress, reaching for one of the apples from the collection she picked. She bit into the juicy fruit and savored the sweet flavor. This apple was much better than what she had to do last night. The man she found at a nearby tavern was dirty, but his soul was enough for the demon, even if it was only a little bit.

  No matter how many times she tried, the thought of doing these things to Conrad killed her. As much as he denied it, she knew it bothered him. No matter how many ideas ran through her head, Bethany could never find out the perfect solution. She was actually starting to think that there wasn’t going to be one.

  Once the apple was finished and the core was disposed of, Bethany made her way through the small woods outside her house and over the cobblestone bridge. She planned an early visit to see Conrad, missing the sound of his voice.

  The walk to his mansion wasn't a very long one, but with every step Bethany took, it felt like a long journey. And that was odd for her. There was even an off feeling starting to settle in the pit of her stomach. She furrowed her brows as she reached the cobblestone bridge—the one that she had to cross and then she would be mere minutes from the warmth of her lover. But something was wrong. This time of the morning was usually when everyone would come out and get everything done, yet there was no one around.

  There was a distant yell coming from the town square, grabbing Bethany’s attention. There must have been an announcement that she didn't hear. She was in that much of a deep sleep that she wouldn't have heard the crier’s bell.

  And just because of that, the sunken feeling inside her grew.

  She gripped at the fabric of her dress, lifting it so it didn't drag on the ground as she walked quickly to the square. Bethany wasn't one to miss out on announcements. Considering what she was, the announcements were of an importance, especially when she fed the night before.

  “Everyone needs to keep their eyes open. If something is out of the ordinary then you must report to us.”

  Bethany walked up to the back of the crowd. The whole town was here. She scanned the area, looking for either her sister or Conrad. She frowned when she spotted her lover on the other side of the crowd. He didn't seem happy—no, he looked pained. What was going on?

  “How do we know what we're looking for?” A female asked, holding a scared child securely to her side.

  “We're looking for a woman. Described to be beautiful, addicting, intoxicating, and she has the power to seduce you. She is a threat to our people and especially, our kids.”

  Concerned murmurs started, mothers held their children tightly, husbands comforted their wives. Warning bells went off in Bethany's head. She didn't like what was being told and she took a step into the shadows, obscuring the view of her. No, this can't be happening. This shouldn’t happen. Bethany was hanging on every word that the town crier was speaking, and with every breath she inhaled, a searing pain ached at her chest.

  She knew what was coming.

  “Do we know who we are looking for?” someone called out.

  “Yes,” the crier answered, “we have a name.”

  Bethany found herself stepping further into the shadows, wanting them to engulf her and take her away. Her eyes flicked over the crowd, pausing when they spotted Conrad staring right back at her. His face was still pained but at the sight of her being there, the pain stung more. He knew what was going to happen too.

  Her eyes never left his and her mouth formed the words “I’m sorry,” but not even she could help but wonder if that was even enough. Conrad's eyes narrowed, pain stricken as she confirmed his thoughts. He was losing her. After all the pain of being together, the climax of it was starting to hit.

  Bethany kept her eyes connected with his. An ache behind her eyelids formed and she swallowed down the lump in her throat. Conrad took a step forward, wanting—no, needing to comfort her and take her away from here to live their lives in a secluded area. When she took a step back however, he got the message. It hurt him, but he understood. If he was to move anywhere near her, they would find her. He didn't want that. It killed him that he couldn't go to her.

  The next words that came out of the crier's mouth confirmed their thoughts, and Bethany felt a lone tear roll down her cheek.

  It was their nightmare, coming to life.

  “Her name is Bethany Judith Smith and we want her, dead or alive.”

  “She told a human?” I exclaimed. My mind was still processing the whole story, and I was lucky that I even managed to stay on my seat. “I thought you got done for that?”

  “You do, now,” Rosa confirmed, “back then the SIA wasn’t around. It was because of her that we even established. If we wanted to live on Earth and prey on humans, we needed to set some boundaries.”

  And oh how those boundaries became annoying after a while.

  A part of the story itched in the back of my head, nagging me to ask. “How was Conrad immune?”

  There was a small smile on Rosa’s face, like she was reliving a happy memory. “Actually, it’s so simple that you'll never guess.”

  “Did they do the dirty and bam, he's immune?”

  The smile slipped and disappeared from her face. “No.”

  It was worth a shot. “Then I'm out.”

  “I told you, you wouldn't guess,” she said.

  “Yes, but if you say something like 'you'll never guess', usually it means, 'oh hey, you'll never guess what happened, but I bet you'll get it in the first try'.”

  It was like there was a big zit on my forehead with the way she was looking at me. “What's the point in saying it if you know the other person is going to get it?”

  I motioned around the area we were in, even if it wasn't Earth. “Welcome to the twenty-first century. So are you going to tell me or no?”

  It took her a while to get out of her bewildered state, her mind obviously trying to get around the language of this generation.

  I was curious to know how this Bethany person made a human immune, not because I was interested or anything—actually, no, I was totally mind-fucked into this story. It was like I picked up a best seller, and now my life revolved around it.

  “She transferred part of her demon into him,” Rosa said, catching me by surprise.

  This would be the time where my ass would meet the floor in astonishment. “You can do that?” I exclaimed.

  Rosa nodded. “Bethany and I were the only ones capable of doing it. I was actually surprised when she came to me to say that she had done it. I was such a proud creator.”

  Well that sucked. Only they were capable of doing it, so I guess me even trying it was out of the question. I can’t even enter dreams yet.

  If I found out my creations succeeded at something, I’d be like a proud mother too—wait. “You're the creator?” My mind was really slow at picking things up today. “You created me?”

  Rosa shook her head instantly. “No. This was only back then. Now, the demons choose their holders. I'm just there to watch over.”

  Interesting. “So, I’m like a hostage, technically?”

  “Not as such, but close enough.”

  Nice.

  My mind ran through the story again, picking out things that intrigued me. I almost felt jealous that they got to have this connection, when I'm stuck trying to even commit to a friendship with a guy. I wondered how it would feel to have that with Tristan. Would it make everything easier?

  Then there was the ending of it all. They found out about her. I could just imagine how it would feel if that were me. Yet, it seemed... unfinished in a way. “What happened to her? Bethany, after everyone found out?”

  I could feel something fall down amongst us, like I hit a sensitive subject. Rosa was staring down at her nails, her lips set in a straight line. “She died.”

  The silence that soon came was filled with sadness—from me. I couldn't tell what Rosa's face was, and her body was showing no signs of anything. I could feel tension though, as if I shouldn't be asking about it. I was just so curious though and it w
as getting the best of me. “The town people found her?”

  “No,” she said quietly, bringing her dark eyes back up to mine, “someone much worse.”

  Rosa stood her ground at the head of the circle. The original five succubi would be standing here, but no, she was missing two of her people. And she knew why.

  “Are you telling me that one of our own has killed another?” Rosa resisted the urge to throw something, but the temptation was getting too much.

  “Rosa, I am just passing on what I know.” The incubus looked down on Rosa with sympathy, she could see it. Not once had succubi and incubi worked along one another, and Rosa knew that she could appear vulnerable at any time. “Bethany's head was given willingly to the town people, by Cassandra.”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” I needed to interrupt before I had more things thrown at me. “We didn’t get along with the incubi? I thought you created them?”

  It was quite sad, but I couldn’t imagine a life without incubi. They were like the apples to our pies or some bullshit like that. It was simple though, we needed them as much as females need the male population.

  “At first, no, we did not see eye to eye on a lot of things. Males in general are very dominant creatures. Just because I created them doesn’t mean they liked me. Recently, we have managed to configure a relationship between the two, and now we work together.”

  “By recently, you mean?”

  “A century, give or take a decade or two.” She shrugged. “Can I get back to the story?”

  “Sorry, continue.”

  The annoyance of having the incubus around was nothing compared to the fury that was within Rosa. If there was anything that could ruin everything it would be this. She tried to swallow down the anger inside her, not wanting to lose control at this moment. “Where is she?”

  “Right here.” Cassandra showed up behind Rosa, a bored look on her face. It only infuriated Rosa more.

  “You have gone against everything I had said.” The concrete walls of the underworld shook with every word that came out of Rosa’s mouth. Just the sight of Cassandra pushed the thought of controlling her temper away. “You have released our secret into the Earthrelm.”