{"id":8167,"date":"2019-01-07T20:36:38","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T02:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/?page_id=8167"},"modified":"2019-02-12T19:23:13","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T01:23:13","slug":"deleted-scenes-the-succubus-part-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/?page_id=8167","title":{"rendered":"Deleted Scenes – The Succubus Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE SUCCUBUS – PART 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Return to Part 1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Connor was sitting up, hair tousled and eyes sleepy, and he blinked at me, not quite free of her influence, but trying to understand what was happening. A dark lock of hair fell over his forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Lis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a bang against the closet door.<\/p>\n

He blinked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s in there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccubus, I think.\u201d\u00a0 I dragged the desk chair to the closet door, wedged it under the doorknob.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should let me out,\u201d she said, knocking against the door from the inside. \u201cI won\u2019t cause any more trouble.\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t even sound convinced by her own argument.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to do that, obviously,\u201d I said, and looked back at Connor.<\/p>\n

He looked from the door to me and back again, some of the haze finally clearing from his face. \u201cShe was\u2014attacking me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u00a0 Stealing your psychic energy, apparently hoping to incapacitate you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t gotten that far yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

He reached out, pushed the button on the small box on the wall, remembered it was a receiver from the house\u2019s old intercom system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d answered a growly voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIntrusion,\u201d Connor said. \u201cGet upstairs.\u201d\u00a0 Then he looked at me. \u201cI need to . . . get dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gestured to a pair of jeans draped over an armchair on the other side of the room. \u201cCould you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d I said, grabbed them and brought them back, looked away as tried to stick a foot into the leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you need help?\u201d<\/p>\n

He growled, got both feet in, tried to stand up. And nearly hit the floor again.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me help you with that,\u201d I said, and put an arm around him, let him put his weight on me while he pulled the jeans up over his hips, buttoned the fly.<\/p>\n

He smiled like sunshine and cologne.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you . . sniff me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cI did not sniff you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course I\u2019d sniffed him. But I wasn\u2019t going to apologize for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for the assist,\u201d he said, stepping away from me to test out his legs.<\/p>\n

The bedroom door swung open with enough force that it bounced against the opposite wall.\u00a0 Miranda, Gabriel, and Eli stepped inside, and leather-jacketed shifters from the front parlor stood in the doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there\u2019s the cavalry,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

Miranda took one look at him, then at me, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. \u201cWhat the hell is she doing in here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe just saved my life,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what?\u201d Miranda\u2019s voice was incredulous.<\/p>\n

Connor walked slowly to the closet, opened the door, and pointed. \u201cFrom her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence fell as they took in the woman sitting on the floor. She looked up, lip curled, and gave them a dirty look.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccubus,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d she get in here?\u201d Gabriel asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can fly, apparently. I was asleep. I guess she came in through the window, got to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miranda looked at me. \u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDrainpipe,\u201d Connor and Gabriel said simultaneously. Then Connor\u2019s eyes went big as he looked at his father. \u201cYou knew about that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabriel\u2019s return look was desert-flat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you did,\u201d Connor murmured.<\/p>\n

Gabriel looked at me with arched brows. \u201cYou shimmied up the drainpipe of a house full of shifters?\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought of the cold look he\u2019d give me at the House, smiled thinly. \u201cIt has good toeholds. And you need better security.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy the closet?\u201d Eli asked.\u00a0 They could fit a lot of shifters in these bedrooms, which probably shouldn\u2019t be dwelled upon.<\/p>\n

Connor looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was secure,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd he was groggy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabriel walked forward, looked over the woman who\u2019d been attempting to psychically deflower his son. \u201cAnd you are?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cParlay!\u201d she said. \u201cI want free passage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabriel rolled his eyes. \u201cI want peace and meat smoker that stays consistently hot. We all have hopes and dreams. Who sent you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo clue.\u201d She actually pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know who I am?\u201d Gabriel\u2019s tone was low and a little mean.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. The shifter. The alpha.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Apex,\u201d Gabriel said. \u201cI\u2019m head of the Pack. The entire Pack.\u00a0 Several of whom you may have seen in the doorway, waiting for my orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

She leaned out, looked at the group. Her lips pursed like she\u2019d smelled something bad.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think those orders should be?\u201d Gabriel asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo let me go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. But if you tell me the truth, you might survive the night.\u00a0 Who sent you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She grumbled a curse. \u201cThe damn king guy. Tall, skinny.\u201d\u00a0 She eyed Connor thoughtfully. \u201cNot nearly as pretty as this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabriel\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cWhat kind of king?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t freaking know what kind of king. The ones who wear black.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fairies,\u201d I said, and stepped forward, ignoring the dirty look Miranda sent me as I moved closer to Gabriel. \u201cRuadan?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s him. He offered me cash, showed me a photo. I said okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did he want you here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot my business,\u201d she said, and pursed her lips together.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry again,\u201d Gabriel said.<\/p>\n

She dropped her shoulders, stared at the ceiling in irritation. I wasn\u2019t sure if she didn\u2019t understand the danger she was facing, or just didn\u2019t care. \u201cI don\u2019t know specifics, okay? Just that he had something planned, and wanted the wolf out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted the wolf . . . out of the way.\u201d Gabriel\u2019s words were low, and his tone was dangerous. \u201cBy wolf, you mean my son. You meant to kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot completely. Just incapacitate him, keep the Pack busy.\u201d\u00a0 She slid me a glance. \u201cAnd I would have finished the job if you hadn\u2019t interrupted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always the meddling kids,\u201d Gabriel muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas Ruadan alone when he asked you to do this?\u201d I asked, thinking of Claudia\u2019s absence at Grant Park, and wondering if she\u2019d been involved in this particular treachery.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. What does it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere was Claudia?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her gaze skittered away. \u201cI don\u2019t know who that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can smell the lie on you,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

I looked back at him, not sure that was the truth, but it worked on the succubi, since she Dropped her head back like a petulant teenager being forced to narc on a friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know who she is. But I don\u2019t know where she is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connor crossed his arms, which emphasized his biceps.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, fine, fine. He sent her away, but I don\u2019t know where!\u201d She held up her hands defensively. \u201cHonest to god. He doesn\u2019t think they\u2019re doing enough now that the magic\u2019s fading.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFading?\u201d Connor asked. \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, all that magic in the air after the dragon. Sorcha pushed a lot of magic into Chicago, and for a while it was really powerful.\u00a0 A lot of Sups got a boost from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And some of us got puppet masters, I thought, and tried to keep emotion off my face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fairies got a big one. They got stronger, could move farther from their tower\u2014the one in Potter Park. But it\u2019s fading.\u201d She dropped her voice, like she was passing along a secret to the room of shifters. \u201cRuadan thinks Claudia should be doing more to, you know, boost them up again. And since she wasn\u2019t, he\u2019s shoved her aside so he can do what he wants.\u201d She lifted a shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sure gave you a lot of information,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t shut up about it. Not that I care. I\u2019m just doing a job, and everybody\u2019s gotta make a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s some job,\u201d Gabriel said. \u201cHe gave you cash?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded, and he held out his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck that. I\u2019m not giving you my money. We already made a deal. You got info and I got to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI changed the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took ten seconds of heavy silence, then she rolled her eyes, pulled an inch-wide wad out of her pocket, held it up. \u201cFine,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I give you this, and I walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabriel plucked the money from her fingers, handed it off to Eli.\u00a0 \u201cFor the retirement fund,\u201d he said, and the cash disappeared into the front pocket of Eli\u2019s jeans.<\/p>\n

The succubus the bodice of her dress, more nervously now. Probably figuring she\u2019d just handed over her only bargaining chip in the hope they\u2019d be reasonable.\u00a0 \u201cCan I go now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s up to him.\u201d Gabriel looked at Connor. \u201cShe attacked you. That gives you rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the weight Gabriel passed him was heavy, Connor didn\u2019t show it.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe tried,\u201d Connor said after a moment. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t successful, and I don\u2019t see any point in punishing failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman\u2019s shoulders drooped visibly with relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut her judgment is shit,\u201d Connor added, and her spine snapped straight again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d I asked her. \u201cI didn\u2019t know there were any succubi in Chicago?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is that relevant?\u201d Miranda muttered, but Connor held up a hand to shut her up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from Gary,\u201d she said, and half the shifters groaned. They apparent weren\u2019t friends of our neighbors from northern Indiana.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen maybe you stay there,\u201d Connor said, nodding at me as he correctly guessed my intent. \u201cYou leave Chicago\u2019s city limits, and you don\u2019t come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She pouted. \u201cMoney\u2019s better in Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connor\u2019s eyes were clear now, but they darkened \u201cYou come back, and money\u2019s going to be the least of your concerns. Understand?\u201d<\/p>\n

She rolled her eyes, unhappy with the limitation, and sighed. \u201cFine. I\u2019ll leave Chicago, and I won\u2019t come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was obviously lying. But I figured it mattered less to Connor whether she stayed gone than whether she stayed out of the Pack\u2019s way\u2014and aware of the consequences of coming back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know vampires can sense succubi, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

I glanced at Connor, brows lifted, and about to object until I saw the glint in his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBullshit,\u201d the woman said. And this time she seemed serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo bullshit,\u201d I said quietly, putting a hand on my katana for emphasis. \u201cHow do you think I knew to come in here? That I just got lucky?\u201d I shook my head, clucked my tongue. \u201cThat\u2019s na\u00efve. I mean, I know you\u2019ve never been in Cadogan House. I can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most people hadn\u2019t been in Cadogan House, but she missed the logic, which was fine by me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d she said, and braced her hands on the closet doorjamb. \u201cCan I get up now?\u201d<\/p>\n

We stepped aside.\u00a0 She rose, pulled the skirt of her dress down demurely, pushed back her hair.\u00a0 She stepped to Connor, gave him a Marilyn-worthy pout. \u201cI\u2019m sorry our rendezvous didn\u2019t work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

His expression was perfectly flat. \u201cI\u2019m not sorry you didn\u2019t suck the literal life out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get her to the state line,\u201d Eli said, then took the girl by the arm and led her out the door.<\/p>\n

There was silence for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Gabriel said, as Connor pulled a T-shirt from the closet, pulled it on. \u201cRuadan wants you out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was interrupted today,\u201d Connor said, glancing at me. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t want to be interrupted again. He probably figured the attack would shift focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we worry about you, and we think we could be attacked,\u201d I said. \u201cSo we stop paying attention to whatever it is they\u2019re trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t need the attack for that,\u201d Connor said. \u201cHe just needed Yuen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the Ombudsman for a reason,\u201d Gabriel said, then looked us over. \u201cI\u2019m going downstairs, help get the bikes checked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connor nodded, but stiffened at the comment\u2014and the reminder of what was coming.. and why I was here.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d come to say goodbye, because he was leaving. Reality was like a douse in icy water.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE END!<\/p>\n

Need more? Click here to read WILD HUNGER<\/a>, or visit more the Extras<\/a> page for more fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE SUCCUBUS – PART 2 [Return to Part 1] Connor was sitting up, hair tousled and eyes sleepy, and he blinked at me, not quite free of her influence, but trying to understand what was happening. A dark lock of hair fell over his forehead. \u201cHey, Lis.\u201d \u201cHey, Connor.\u201d There was a bang against the[…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":771,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8167","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8167"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8177,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8167\/revisions\/8177"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}