A Succubus Hunts Ch. 03

"Uh, Thanks."

She let go and took Amy's plate with a smile. "Tell Jimmy I said hello."

"Sure..."

Connor paid her no mind as she slipped the book into her purse with shaking hands and left, heedless of the rain. As soon as she got in the car she locked the door and watched through the window, half expecting someone to be following her, but the clearing was empty. She turned the key and left, mind racing.

*****

"You're starting to sound like Jim."

"I'm telling you she's a-" Amy realized how loud she was being and dropped into a whisper, "She's a demon!"

"It's uncanny." He took a swig of beer.

They sat in a dark corner of the local pub. Cigarette smoke filled the air, and the Beatles played from speakers mounted on the wall above them. Amy's paranoia made her hyper-aware of the glances other patrons kept giving them. She knew it was just simple curiosity, but she couldn't stop wondering if any of them had other motives.

"I'm being serious, Xavier." She placed a hand on his wrist and stopped him from taking another drink.

"Alright, walk me through it one more time. Sorry, I've had a few."

Amy sighed, it wasn't his fault. She'd lost track of time at the cafe and been late, so he'd stopped at the pub to wait for her. She began to list the facts again, holding up fingers to count as she went.

"One: she looks way too young for her age."

"Lots of people look young, she could just be lucky."

"Two: she knows about the Watchers."

"Sure, but you said Jim's dad told her about that."

"Three: I never told her about you, but she knew there were three of us in the cabin."

"So she heard it from someone in town. You see the looks we get, right?"

"Four: She saw the ring."

He frowned, and looked at her hand as if he'd just remembered the ring's existence. "Alright that one might be something, but we don't even know how it works. We can't discount the possibility that someone can see through the ring's glamour the same way you can see past Gwe- ...her glamour. You said she was into new age stuff. Maybe that's enough belief to see a magic ring."

"Five," She hadn't included this the first time through. "Remember all those letters and recipes we found in storage at the San Francisco house?"

"Uh, sure."

"What was the name of the woman writing to Jim's grandfather?"

She felt a little smug as realization dawned on him. "...Jessica."

"Jessica."

"Okay that's bloody weird. But!" He interjected before she could respond, "we still can't make assumptions. Maybe she was named after her mother? Or maybe that was just a different woman. It's a common name. This could all be coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidence, Xavier, and this would be a lot of them."

"Fair. I agree that it's worth looking into. I'm just saying though, it's easy to start seeing demons everywhere once you've been hurt by one. Trust me."

"You think I'm paranoid."

"No- well, a little. Maybe. But you have every right to be, after what you've been through. I do think you're onto something. I'm just advising caution. If you're wrong we don't want to embarrass ourselves, and if you're right, we don't want to go off half-cocked. This woman could be dangerous."

It was reasonable advice, but it still felt like he didn't believe her. Her story did warrant skepticism. Crossing the Atlantic to flee one demon only to end up on another's doorstep would be a wild coincidence ...or would it? They hadn't only come here to escape Gwen, but to search for clues at the castle. A castle where a group of hunters were murdered. Wouldn't the demons responsible leave someone behind to safeguard their secrets?

"We could just ask Jim. The codger will accuse anyone of being a demon, and you said she used to babysit him, so he might know something that can-."

"No."

"No, what?"

"We won't bring Jim into this. Not until we're certain. He's known her since childhood, he won't be able to see things objectively. I know how easy it is to ignore the signs from someone you're close with." Xavier's face made it clear how he felt about that, but he had the good sense to stay quiet. "We'll investigate her on our own, and when we have proof we'll bring it to him. Until then, we continue as we were."

Xavier shrugged, knocked back the last few ounces of beer and shimmied out of the booth. "Alright, fine. Business as usual. Nothing weird. Now, " He offered her his hand, "Shall we go explore a haunted castle?"

*****

Jim stood outside the castle smoking a cigarette and gazing up at the structure. A large archway lead to a courtyard circled on three sides by the two-storied building. A walkway above the arch connected two of the upstairs rooms, and toward the back was a single square tower. It wasn't as big as the castles in movies or books. It was more of a small manor, really, built centuries ago by some lord as a summer retreat. Amy had seen bigger mansions in Napa Valley back home. Still, it dominated the surrounding landscape with a heavy presence that had nothing to do with its size. Dark black streaks trailed upward from a few of the windows. Scars from the fire that had raged the night of the Watcher's deaths. Jim flicked a cigarette butt haphazardly against its wall and turned to face them.

"A'right then. Listen up yeh dafties. Yer each gonna take a few drops o' this 'ere," He reached into his pocket and withdrew a cork-stopped vial filled with brown liquid, "and rub it on yer necks."

He tossed the bottle to Xavier who looked at it squeamishly. "What is it? Also, follow up: why?"

"Holly oil. Closest thing to a demon repellent there is.

Xavier unstopped it and sniffed. He paused, considering, then carefully poured a few drops into his hand and began rubbing it into the back of his neck. He looked at her and offered, "Smells fine."

She had bigger worries, though. "Jim, why do we need demon repellent?"

"There's something still in there. Take this too," He offered her a maglight. It was cold and heavy in her grip, "Don't stray too far from the windows. Stay where it's brightest, and use that."

"Or?..." Xavier asked as he handed her the oil.

"What is it yer always sayin`? Find out if yeh feck around."

"Close enough," Xavier muttered.

"Are you saying there's a demon in there?" The oil smelled a bit like pine. It was cold on her neck and she shivered as a breeze ran through the clearing.

"Aye, I believe so."

"You believe?"

"I do. I've seen naught, but there's a dark presence inside. You'll see what I mean. There's wards on the castle stoppin' demons and the like from getting in, but I reckon it works both ways and somethin's trapped in there." Amy gazed up at one of the windows on the second floor. The glass was shattered, and behind was only inky blackness. "Stick together, and don't go too far. This is a scouting trip to test the waters. You can come back later an' go deeper."

"Aren't you coming?"

"No," He lit another cigarette. "Not this time."

*****

Xavier was looking around from one window to the next as if he expected to catch someone looking back at them as they crossed the overgrown courtyard. Dead, dry grass snapped under Amy's heels as she led the way. To their right, a tall window set into a corner room had been left open, and swung lazily in the breeze. Inside Amy could make out a billiards table. Each of the three walls had a set of heavy double doors, but they made their way straight for the largest pair, directly across from the archway. Jim had given them a large metal key that slid easily into the lock. Amy turned and felt the bolt clunk as it released. The doors creaked loudly as they pulled one open.

"Well?"

"Ladies first."

Amy rolled her eyes and stepped inside. Stale, musty air filled her lungs, and her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. It was a wide foyer with checker-patterned wood tiles caked in dust. Against the back wall, two sets of glass doors led to what appeared to be a dining room. Amy wiped a pane clean with the edge of her sleeve and pressed her face against the glass. Behind her Xavier gave an apprehensive hmmm.

The back side of the castle faced the woods, and very little light made it through the room's windows, leaving it nearly pitch dark. She clicked on her flashlight and shined it through the adjacent pane. A long wooden table lined with chairs sat in front of a tall fireplace. Blank squares on the wall suggested that paintings had once hung there, but other than the table, the room was now sparse and empty.

"Nothing here." There were two more exits, one with open doors that led to a carpeted staircase, and another pair still closed. "This way." She pushed open the doors and entered the hallway behind. Xavier followed, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls.

The hall opened up into a sitting room. An old plush armchair sat facing another fireplace, Amy supposed most rooms would have one in a building this old. Next to the chair, another lay tipped onto the ground. She scanned the room with her light and let out a yelp as a pair of glassy eyes reflected it back. The head of a deer with long multi-pronged antlers hung from the wall alongside several others of various sizes. Amy also realized the rug beneath the chairs was bearskin. Grotesque. She'd never understand why people delighted so much in killing animals.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just." She took a deep breath, "Just surprised."

"Check out the creepy painting."

Amy followed his pointer finger to a large frame above the fireplace. It featured a woman tied to a stake, engulfed in flames. Her face was a mask of agony, and Amy felt as if the woman was staring directly at her, pleading. The painting itself was disturbing enough, but it bothered her that it was here, in the same room as the animal trophies. Xavier had said that the Watchers were religious, and the excerpts from the demonic archive she'd read on Jim's website certainly corroborated that.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised they'd be pro-witch burning."

"It's just a painting."

"You sure? If they're already hunting demons, why not throw in a few witches."

"That's not the same thing."

Amy couldn't resist lifting the fallen armchair back into place. "How do you figure?"

"Well, for starters witches aren't real. And besides, these guys hunted demons. They wouldn't kill humans."

Amy shined her flashlight in his face and smiled as he covered his eyes with an arm. "My best friend turned into a demon, and I'm wearing a magical ring that you gave me. You're so sure witches aren't real?"

"Okay, okay. Fair." He shoved her maglight aside. "Still though. There's a difference between killing a human and a demon."

"You mean there's no ethical issue killing demons."

"No, there's not."

"Even Gwen?"

"We agreed to change her back, didn't we? We'll keep our promise, but I said what I said." He turned away before she could respond, and moved toward a curtained archway that led out of the room. "It's just a painting."

They walked along a gallery hallway lined with windows looking into the courtyard. It was brighter here than anywhere else they'd been, and Xavier's mood seemed to lift a little. He stopped in front of a suit of armor on display against the wall. It was decorative, not practical, modeled after a medieval style that would have been outdated even when the castle was built. Xavier reached out and tapped the hilt of a sword the suit held against the floor by the pommel. It slid from the armor's grasp and clattered loudly against the floor, ringing down the hall. Xavier winced, and turned to look back at her. She only shrugged.

"How are you so relaxed?"

"I dunno, it's just a castle."

"It's a creepy castle where a bunch of people were murdered," He picked the sword up off the floor, "and apparently, there's a bloody demon in here somewhere."

"Jim wouldn't have let us in if it wasn't safe, and besides, we have demon repellent."

"Whatever, I'm keeping this." He held the sword up like a baseball bat.

"My knight in shining armor."

The hall terminated in a two storied room that made Amy's jaw drop. Bookshelves lined the walls, extending all the way up. A staircase against one wall split into two walkways, becoming a balcony that ringed the second level. It was the library of her dreams, or it would have been, if it wasn't utterly destroyed.

Refuse covered the floor, torn pages, broken bits of shelves, and pieces of the railing from the balcony above. Black streaks cut swathes through the shelving, and ashes that were once books were scattered everywhere. Soot covered the windows, blocking out most of the light, throwing the room into darkness. Amy let out an involuntary whimper, and Xavier put a hand on her shoulder.

"The books that survived were recovered. They're at the London house. Nothing all that interesting though, you could find most of it in bookstores."

"Still..." Amy took a pinch of ash from a nearby shelf and rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger.

"The fire was the worst here I reckon. We should leave, it's too dark here." He was visibly unnerved, and his grip on her shoulder had grown tight. "Let's go up and check out the next floor?" He motioned at the stairs.

"Or down." Amy pointed her flashlight toward the back of the staircase, throwing a spotlight onto a small dark, iron door, nearly hidden behind a destroyed shelf.

Streaks of black soot reached out from its frame, crawling along the walls and floor like tendrils. From what she could tell of the layout, there was no room in this direction, which meant the door must lead to a basement.

Xavier must have come to the same conclusion because he said, "No fucking way. Jim said to stay in the light, which I'd argue we're failing at already. We are not going into the murder castle's basement."

Her curiosity drowned out any merit his argument had. She took a step closer to the door, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Amy, no."

"We're here for answers right? Well they're probably down there. If you had demon hunting tools and manuals and occult... stuff, where would you keep it?" She answered her own question, "In the basement behind a creepy little door that you can hide behind a bookshelf."

"It looks like where the fire started, there's probably nothing left down there."

"We won't know until we-"

"Amy, please. Next time. I dunno why you can't feel it, maybe it's the ring, but I'm getting a really bad feeling here. We need to leave."

She worried her lip for a moment and considered. "Alright, fine."

Fearing that the library stairs might collapse, they returned to the foyer and took the stairs there. The second floor was one long, narrow hallway that wrapped around the entire courtyard, lined with doors that all led into little bedrooms. Every pair of them shared a little bathroom with a sink and a metal tub, most of which were covered in rust. The windows were crusted with dirt, but there were enough of them that they didn't need their flashlights.

Amy quickly grew bored of bedroom after generic bedroom. She knew there was nothing up here. The answers she'd come for were in the basement, if anywhere. Jim's advice fought with her insatiable curiosity. For a moment she considered taking the ring off to test if Xavier's apprehension really was supernatural, and she was simply immune while wearing it, but caution won out. Gwen's threads were affected by distance, she knew, but she'd fled before Gwen's ascension was complete. Maybe she was stronger now, and could sense her from further away, or maybe she was just worried what her own corrupted aura would tempt her to do without the ring's protection.

Amy found herself paying less attention to her surroundings as her mind wandered. Thoughts of Gwen became thoughts of sex, and she was back to being a horny mess. She watched Xavier as he combed the castle, nodding absently as he joked. His shoulders were hunched and tight, his whole body seemed tense.

"Are you really that scared?"

"Are you really not? It's gotta be the ring, because this place is bloody scary."

Amy stepped closer, motes of dust danced between them in the winter light leaking in from the window. "Don't worry, I can protect you."

She placed her hands against his chest and pushed him against the wall, kissing him. She slipped a hand below his shirt.

"Amy..."

"The only monster here is me," she whispered, "and I'm hungry." He shivered as she dragged a finger up his side and bit playfully at his ear. From this angle she could see Jim through the window, leaning against the wall below. If he looked up right now... a thrill ran through her and she pressed herself harder against Xavier.

"No. Amy, Jesus!" He shouted, taking both her shoulders, and pushing her away. The sword fell to the ground. Quieter, he said. "not here."

"I- I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I..." Tears began to build. Of frustration or regret she wasn't certain.

"It's okay." His grip softened and he pulled her into a gentle hug. "Sorry, I overreacted. This place just has me on edge. Let's get out of here."

They left the sword and walked hand in hand out of the castle in silence. Amy replayed her actions over and over in her mind. It wasn't like her to be so... predatory, but she knew exactly why she'd done it. Night after night of erotic dreams, directed by a succubus who liked it when she took charge. Despite fleeing America, despite the ring, despite everything she'd learned from Jim about defending herself, she still wasn't safe from Gwen. She needed to find some way to turn the tables, and she was willing to risk the castle basement, or an encounter with another demon in the guise of a kind old woman to find it.