The Incubus, Succubus and Son of Perdition Box Set: The Len du Randt Bundle

by Len du Randt

  Jared raised his glass into the air. ‘To new contracts and old friendships. May all our future ventures be prosperous.’ Amy’s hand shot to her mouth and Jared grinned widely. ‘Guess who landed the largest financial contract in Kelwick’s history?’

  ‘You got the Patterson contract?’ Amy shrieked.

  Jared answered with an assuring nod.

  Tanya clapped her hands excitedly and Amy jumped up and flung her arms around Jared. ‘Congratulations, my love,’ Amy said and kissed him. ‘I told you that there was nothing to worry about.’

  ‘I’m so proud of you,’ Tanya said as she moved in for a hug. ‘Those guys made the right choice in signing you up for the job.

  ‘Can’t argue with you on that one,’ Jared chuckled.

  The three of them took their seats at the table. Jared waited patiently for the ladies to help themselves to the food that Tanya had prepared for them. He was relieved that it was Tanya’s turn to prepare dinner. They had an unofficial arrangement where every other Monday evening, they would dine at each other’s homes. He liked getting out every once in a while, and spending an evening at Tanya’s place was the perfect excuse for doing so.

  ‘Your mother e-mailed me today,’ Tanya said. ‘She’s worried about you.’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘She called me this morning and raised her concerns. She’s all worked up over some dream or something.’ He chewed on a piece of chicken as he thought about his mother and how literally she sometimes took her dreams. ‘I guess nothing has changed over the years, eh?’

  ‘I wish my mother would worry about me for a change,’ Amy said. ‘You should be glad that yours does.’

  Jared didn’t answer right away. He merely studied Amy’s facial expression and body language as he finished chewing. He swallowed, took a sip of wine, and then ate another mouthful before answering. ‘I guess you’re right,’ he said. ‘Although I’m fine, as you can see. It’s her that I’m worried about.’

  ‘Oh, she can look after herself,’ Tanya defended her old friend. ‘Trust me on that one.’

  For a while no one said anything. Jared merely smiled while absentmindedly scraping the food around the plate with his fork. He looked up at the two women and for a moment, soaked in the utter contentment he felt. ‘So,’ he said as a sly grin formed on his face. ‘Did I tell you guys how much the Patterson contract is worth?’

  * - - - *

  ‘She’s a keeper,’ Tanya said as she and Jared entered the living room. Although the house was substantially larger than the tiny two-room apartment she lived in on the ranch when Jared first came to Kelwick, it was still considerably smaller than Jared’s mansion. He bought her the house as a gift shortly after he had made his first million.

  Jared nodded. ‘Yeah, Amy’s the best.’ Teaspoon clinked against mug as Amy prepared coffee in the kitchen. ‘In fact,’ Jared said, making sure that Amy couldn’t hear him. ‘I think that she might even be the one.’

  Tanya pulled her face. ‘The one...?’

  Jared nodded as he produced the velvet box with the ring. ‘I’m going to ask her to marry me on Sunday evening,’ he said and smiled proudly. ‘Right after the Church service.’

  Tanya looked at Jared as if she had been physically struck. ‘Church service?’

  Jared nodded, the smile broadening on his face. He listened over his shoulder to make sure that Amy was still in the kitchen. He had to talk quickly before she returned. ‘I went to Church with her last night. Oh, I wish you could have been there, Tanya. I never thought that I would actually say this in my lifetime, but it was nothing short of spectacular. I can’t explain it, but something in me just opened up to the whole Christian thing.’

  Tanya didn’t respond. She merely allowed him to continue.

  ‘I wanted to convert—’

  ‘Convert?’ Tanya interrupted. She almost spat out the word as if it were vile in her mouth.

  Jared nodded. ‘I couldn’t though, but I obviously did some soul searching when I got back home. I really want to marry Amy, Tanya, I really do. The least I could do for her is to embrace her faith.’ He smiled. ‘Besides, I’m already half way there, right?’

  ‘Jared,’ Tanya said thoughtfully as she gazed at the ring. ‘This sounds awfully rushed, love. Changing your beliefs just to get married...What does that tell you of your own lack of faith in whatever you initially believed in? How do you know that your new religion won’t waver when the next best thing arrives?’ Tanya sighed and handed the box back to Jared. ‘Weren’t you the one that said that all the church does is excite one enough so that the sucker can go again to pour out even more money? Aren’t you falling for that very trap?’

  ‘Well…you taught me that…but this; this is different…’

  ‘And besides, Jared, why do you have to change your beliefs? Doesn’t she love you enough to marry you without you having to adapt to her petty ideals?’

  Jared lowered his head. ‘Something in that service told me that it’s time to move on with my life,’ he said. He looked up and the excitement returned to his eyes. ‘I tell you, Tanya, I’ve never felt like this before. It’s as if I gained some secret insight into whom and what God really is. I can’t get it out of my mind and the only logical next step for me would be to convert. It’s not just about Amy.’

  ‘Jared, I think you’re making a—’

  ‘Let me help you with that,’ Jared said as Amy entered the room with a tray. He got up and took the tray from her, allowing her to take a seat.

  ‘Did I miss anything exciting?’ Amy asked as she took her mug from Jared.

  ‘Not really,’ Jared said and winked at Tanya. ‘We were just discussing religion.’

  The edges of Amy’s lips curled upward. ‘Did he tell you that I finally managed to drag him to Church yesterday?’

  ‘I did, yes,’ Jared said and chuckled.

  ‘He went along kicking and screaming,’ Amy said. ‘But in the end I think he actually enjoyed it.’

  Tanya merely managed a weak smile. This is not good! ‘I’m glad,’ she said. She spent the rest of the conversation in absentminded thought and once her two guests finished their coffee, dropped the hint that the visit was over.

  ‘So we’ll see you at my place next week?’ Jared confirmed as he handed out his hug and kiss. ‘Same time as usual?’

  Tanya nodded.

  ‘Unless, of course, you’d like to join us for Church next Sunday evening?’ Jared asked and winked. He wanted Tanya to be there when he proposed. He wanted her to see him become a man and move on with his life.

  Amy giggled.

  Tanya shot him a glance and Jared instantly knew that he had overstepped a boundary.

  ‘Well,’ he said. ‘Monday evening then.’

  ‘Same time,’ Tanya confirmed. She escorted the two to the front door and once they left, hurried down the hallway and unlatched the door to the attic. She made her way up the wooden steps into the dark room and fumbled in the darkness at a specific spot until her hand made contact with the box of matches. She struck a match and lit strategically placed candles around the room. Slowly but surely the room came to life, painted in drab colours by the thin light of the candles.

  ‘The time has come,’ Tanya spoke out loud, ‘to ensure our stronghold on the one.’ She donned a black robe and pulled the hood over her head. After lighting a black candle, she chanted softly as she stepped onto the huge pentagram painted on the floor.

  * - - - *

  ‘Is it just me,’ Amy asked as Jared sped through Kelwick in his Vanquish. ‘Or did Tanya act kind of strange toward the end?’

  Jared shot a quick glance in her direction. ‘Yeah, I picked up on it too,’ he said.

  ‘What do you think triggered it?’ she asked. ‘Was it me, or something I said?’

  Jared shook his head. ‘Don’t think so, no. My best guess would be that she just has a lot on her mind.’

  For a long moment Amy didn’t say anything. She looked out the window at the rows of clos
ed stores zipping by, each one equipped with reinforced security gates. ‘I guess you’re right,’ she said. A gut feeling in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise. ‘You would tell me if she didn’t like me, right?’

  ‘Don’t be silly, Amy. Of course she likes you.’

  ‘But if you knew she didn’t, you’d tell me, right?’

  ‘I would,’ he said. ‘Trust me. Whatever caused her to behave strangely tonight has nothing to do with you.’

  * - - - *

  ‘That woman is threatening our stronghold,’ Tanya spoke out loudly to no one in particular. ‘She must be stopped before it’s too late.’

  At first there was nothing. No response. A gentle breeze coming from a small window at the end of the attic fluttered the tiny flames of the candles before it subsided again. Still there was nothing. A moment later, Tanya could feel the presence of someone in the room with her, but she still couldn’t see anyone. A sudden gust of wind ripped the window open. The slam of the wooden frame snuffed the candles, leaving everything in instant darkness.

  What is it that you propose to do? A growling voice reverberated through the attic. Tanya was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure.

  ‘She must be removed from his life,’ Tanya said. ‘Plucked out.’ She paused as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. ‘Jared must be turned away from her God in the harshest manner possible.’

  There was silence for a moment. The wooden frame of the window gently tapped against the window sill. Finally the voice spoke again. There is one that can accomplish this task, but you would have to offer her a sacrifice before she will do it.

  Tanya knelt down. ‘What sacrifice would appease her, my lord?’

  You are to carve a wooden idol in her likeness and worship it.

  ‘And who is she, my lord?’

  Her name is Nahemah, queen of the Succubi.

  ‘I will have it ready by Thursday,’ Tanya said. ‘The woman must be removed before Sunday, or it will be too late.’

  So shall it be, the voice spoke through the darkness. There was a final blast of wind before silence settled over the attic once more. Tanya finished her chanting and then made her way down the wooden steps before closing the attic door. Time was of the essence. She had three days to carve a wooden doll for the demon or they would lose their chance forever.

  * - - - *

  Everything was calm in the small farming village. Children played about, chasing each other through makeshift obstacle courses. The shepherd’s dog joined in the fun, barking as it ran alongside the shrieking boys and girls. The men of the village were out farming, gathering wood, or making tools of various kinds at the blacksmith. The younger women prepared lunch while the elderly ladies made clothes.

  A little to the north, just across the riverbed stood an abandoned barnyard. The holes in the tapered roof and the rotted walls let in just enough light to illuminate the interior. Patches of grass sprouted through floorboards that creaked and snapped when stepped upon.

  In the middle of the barnyard, seven hooded men surrounded a lone figure. The figure spoke to an invisible force. Heated words were exchanged. The man pointed his finger and threatened through clenched teeth. The invisible being picked the man up into the air and twisted his neck before throwing him the distance of the barnyard. The man’s limp body crashed through the rotted wood and light spilled through the gap in the wall. The seven hooded men scattered, but were cut off. Each one met a similar fate.

  Just then the doors to the barnyard flung open and a man entered, shouting something at the invisible demon.

  Jared?

  The demon hissed and cursed.

  Jared! Don’t!

  The man took a step closer, pointing at the demon as he shouted his commands above the wailing wind. The demon recoiled, but then retaliated, lashing out at the man with its full fury.

  ‘Jared! NO!’

  Justin switched on the bed lamp. Rebecca sat upright next to him, breathing furiously as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. ‘What’s wrong, Becky?’

  Rebecca swallowed hard, darting her eyes across the room. Slowly but surely her breathing regulated enough for her to speak. ‘I had a bad dream…about Jared,’ she said. Her tongue felt dry and her throat scratched. She was in desperate need of water; anything to quench her aching thirst. ‘Again.’

  ‘Again?’

  Rebecca nodded. She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom where the gulped down the cool water as if she had been deprived of the liquid her entire life. When she returned to the bedroom, Justin was still awake; looking at her expectantly to tell him what was going on.

  ‘I had a bad dream last week as well,’ she said as she slipped back into bed. ‘Although not quite as vivid as this one.’

  ‘We all have bad dreams now and again, Becky,’ Justin said. ‘It’s one of those things.’

  ‘Not like this,’ she said. ‘It felt too real.’ Rebecca closed her eyes and replayed some of the images in her mind. ‘Something’s wrong,’ she said. ‘I think that Jared might be in some kind of trouble.’

  ‘Then why don’t you call him and find out?’

  ‘I did,’ she said. ‘Last week already, but he insisted that everything was okay.’

  ‘Then everything is fine. Trust me, if something was wrong, we’d have known about it by now.’

  ‘I hope you’re right,’ she said and kissed him on his forehead. Justin turned over and switched off the light as she wrapped her arm around his waist. Long after Justin’s soft, rhythmic snoring returned, Rebecca still lay awake, unable to shake the gnawing urge in her gut that something bad was going to happen to her son.

  * - - - *

  Lightning flashed, lighting up Tanya’s attic in places the flickering lights of the candles couldn’t. She stepped into the symbol painted on the floor and made several hand gestures as she chanted.

  Did you bring the token? a deep voice growled from the corner of the attic, its speaker invisible in the deep shadows of the small chamber.

  ‘I did,’ Tanya said and held out the idol. Although no piece of art, it would be sufficient.

  Now bow down to it, the voice instructed.

  Tanya obeyed.

  Offer yourself to it.

  Tanya took a dagger from within her robe and pressed it against the palm of her left hand. She clenched down on her teeth as she drew the blade across her hand. A trail of blood followed the tip of the blade to the edge of her palm and dripped down onto the idol in front of her. Tanya picked up the wooden figure and wrapped her blood soaked hand around it. ‘I herewith offer myself to you,’ she said as she rubbed her palm over the little statuette, coating it with her blood.

  Well done, the voice said. You have pleased Nahemah. She shall do your bidding.

  Lightning flashed, and for a second Tanya could see the shape of someone standing in the corner of the room. She stood up, trying her best to suppress any form of fear in her voice. ‘I command you to show yourself.’

  For a long moment nothing happened. Lightning flashed again and the demon was instantly upon Tanya. It stopped just outside the circle that surrounded the pentagram on the floor.

  Tanya flinched, but didn’t move. She studied the beast in front of her, its eyes hungry for murder and its fangs ever as deadly as they seemed. ‘You will take on a human form,’ Tanya said, trying her best to sound like the one in charge. She had done her part. The demon had to do her bidding. ‘Until she is out of the way and he is ours.’

  The demon hissed and moved back into the shadows. Tanya couldn’t see what was happening in the darkness, but when the lightning flashed again, she could make out the silhouette of a woman. At first the singing couldn’t be heard above the thunder outside, but as the woman approached the pentagram, her singing reached Tanya’s ears.

  Tanya gasped when she heard the singing. It was the most angelic sound she had ever heard and she almost broke down and cried as the approaching woman’s marvellous voi
ce grew louder and more wonderful with each passing second. ‘Oh mighty one,’ Tanya sobbed as she fell down at the woman’s feet. ‘Have mercy on your loyal subject.’

  The woman continued singing, her long black hair flowing in the wind as if dancing to her song. Her voice grew in brilliance and intensity until Tanya couldn’t handle it anymore. Tanya cried as she clutched the woman’s feet, soaking them with her tears. She took a thick lock of hair in her hand and wiped her tears from the woman’s feet. The singing stopped and the woman hunched down next to Tanya. ‘Come,’ she said in a soft, sweet voice as she extended her hand. ‘Time is short and we have much to do.’

  * - - - *

  The man standing behind the podium was impressive. His speech was perfect and he knew his subject matter extremely well. Jared couldn’t help but feel insignificant in the speaker’s presence.

  ‘We have to unite as a global power,’ the man said. ‘If not, everything we’ve worked so hard to accomplish is futile.’

  The audience applauded and cheered as the man’s speech grew in authority and intensity.

  ‘We have to weed out the weak to build a new generation of men and women worthy of the great task at hand. We need strong leadership to guide our tightly-knit fellowship so that things will finally be run the way that they’re supposed to be.’

  His comment was met with even more applause and cheering.

  ‘With this in mind, I therefore implore each and every one of you to...’

  The singing not only distracted the speaker, but everyone else in the auditorium. At first Jared couldn’t place the source of the voice, but he soon determined that it came from a room opposite the hallway outside. His stomach twisted. Jared had never heard such a beautiful voice in his life before, and had he not known better, he would have sworn that the voice belonged to an angel.