Page 33 of Incubus
“You will live eternity alone and hungry for something you can never have. The chance that you will find happiness in love with a human or even your own kind is lower even than a demon’s. And believe me, eternity is a very long time without company.”
Sasha’s laughter faded and a deep sadness broke into his expression like a crack on a mirror. “Maybe you're right,” he said, his voice still that strange rumble. “But that doesn’t change that you’ve lost.”
The succubus stared at Sasha, not understanding what he could possibly mean. But Nathan understood. He understood even before he saw her start to convulse. She had forgotten one very important thing.
Jim.
Nathan and Sasha fell from the succubus’ grip, both managing to stay on their feet. It was not until the succubus dropped to the ground that Nathan saw Jim where he had been standing behindher, holding Nathan’s now bloodied iron ankle blade that he had yet to reclaim from Jim after Carol’s apartment.
“Rule number one,” Jim said, though he wasn’t smiling or at all smug.
“Never monologue,” Nathan finished.
Standing there between them, Sasha looked broken. They knew he understood that this was the only outcome they could have come to, but it didn’t make killing a family member any easier. That thought forced Nathan to look at Jim again, and he hated that Jim was already looking back at him with an expression that said, “One day you’ll have to do this for me.”
Nathan reached over and took the ankle blade back from him.
The succubus gave a few more spasms, staring up at them in disbelief. If she could speak, she didn’t try. Jim had gotten her right in the heart. It wasn’t quite the same as what they had seen with Sasha and the spreading of blue veins. Instead, the veins were everywhere at once, shimmering like a hologram beneath her skin. When she finally went still, there were no sign of veins at all, but her red eyes lay open.
Sasha knelt down beside his fallen aunt. He reached out and closed her eyes, having to act more carefully with his claws then he would have had to in his human form. Then he placed one hand on her forehead and one on her heart. Nathan thought Sasha was doing some sort of incubus prayer at first, but the succubus started to glow and, in a moment, she had completely vanished.
“Whoa,” Jim said. “What happened?”
Sasha stayed on the ground, staring at where his aunt had been. “I sent her home. Back to our part of the Veil. Death is the only time doorways don’t matter.” He looked up at Jim and smiled somberly.
“Should we…expect any retaliation?” Jim asked.
“No. They’ll know it was one of our kind that sent her back. They won’t come after us.” Sasha stood, taller than usual with his large raptor feet.
Nathan had to wonder what a passerby might think should they come traipsing down the alleyway. Sasha was a sight—long red hair, slit red eyes, black horns, black wings, and black clawed hands and feet, all set against striking white skin. He was more impressive than any fae Nathan had ever seen.
Silence covered them, but it was companionable silence, even as Sasha stared at where his aunt had died with a deep, longing sadness. Seeing such a large and otherwise ominous looking creature so distraught was unsettling. It reminded Nathan of how he used to feel whenever he saw his parents beaten or scared.
“This may sound crazy,” Sasha said, his grumbling voice very soft and low, “but I think I understand what she was trying to tell me. We’re not built to be monogamous. So when one of my kind falls in love, it’s really special. My parents…” He trailed, but with a smile that managed to look sweet even with fangs. “My parents had that. Can you imagine loving someone finally after living so long without it, and then to have that person just hate you because…all they see when they look at you…is…” Sasha stared down at his claws and, if Nathan didn’t know any better, he would swear the incubus was close to crying.
“Sasha,” Jim said. He had an unnatural talent to sound soothing just by saying a person’s name. He moved closer to Sasha and placed a hand on one of those bare white shoulders.
Sasha relaxed at the simple touch. Then, as they stood there, connected, he seemed to shrink, changing back into his guise as a normal human. Sasha’s clothing that had vanished reappeared just the same and, after a moment, Nathan might have believed that none of that mess between incubus and succubus ever happened.
Sasha was still an incubus. But he was also a man. And maybe...a friend. And he had just watched a member of his family die because they had fallen too far into darkness to be brought out again. Nathan hated how much he feared he would one day know exactly how that felt.
Getting in between Sasha and Jim, Nathan pulled on a smile. “What do you say we get out of here?” he said. “And this time we’ll buyyoua round.”
Sasha laughed, surprised but grateful for the suggestion.
Jim nodded, no doubt wanting a drink himself.
Even Walter, standing nearby, looked at least relieved at how everything had turned out.
"Good," Nathan said, "because, Sasha, dude…you are freaky as hell. But kind of cool too.”
Chapter 13
Thefirstroundofdrinks reached their table with little conversation having passed between them. They had returned to McCoy's, the bar Sasha had taken them to when they first met. Nathan had suggested hitting the bar partly in celebration for having finished the hunt, but also to get Sasha’s mind off of the fact that the succubus had been his aunt.
“Sasha? Are you really okay with what happened back there?" Jim asked. He and Sasha were on one side of the booth while Nathan occupied the other alone. “I mean…she was family. That can’t be easy.”
Nathan took a long drink, glowering at his brother over the top of his beer.
