Idle Hands Ch. 06

"With Althea, though, it was as if she was specifically designed to get the best use out of oxygen. The platelet level was bizarre as well. Way too high. Platelets help with clotting when we get injured. But her platelet level was so high her blood should have been more like a thick goo than a liquid. But it wasn't, since I had no problems drawing blood samples.

"It took me a while, but I found out she was producing a natural anticoagulant. But that didn't make any sense either, because her blood clotted normally when I took a sample. And the anticoagulant was so strong it should have turned her into a hemophiliac." She blew out a frustrated breath, and Sarah grinned sympathetically. Yasna raised her hands helplessly. "What's a doctor supposed to do when so many conflicting impossibilities keep turning up? If I didn't know better, I would say Althea was some sort of bizarre genetic super-soldier like you see in bad late-night action movies." She ticked the points off on her fingers. "High oxygen intake to get more energy with each breath. High platelet count so wounds close quickly, to avoid blood loss. The anticoagulant to offset the high platelet count, so you don't have blood clots, especially in the brain, which could cause a stroke. By the time you and your brother and parents and all the rest piled into the hospital room the other night, I was primed to believe something extraordinary was going on.

"And apparently Althea was affecting my mind without me even being aware of it. Making me less apt to question anything that had to do with her." She bit her lip, and her face closed off, becoming expressionless.

"She wasn't doing it on purpose," Sarah said hurriedly. "From what I can tell, she doesn't even have any control over how humans react to her."

"Oh, I know." Althea grimaced. "She more or less apologized about it the first night I was here. Still, I hate thinking that I was wandering around like some starry-eyed teenager lusting after the high-school quarterback."

Sarah nodded slowly. "I understand. It creeps me out a bit when I find myself getting turned on when she's around." She started to say something more, but caught herself, struck by a sudden insight. Instead, she turned the pieces of the conversation over in her mind.

Control. It all has to do with control. Sarah was no stranger to how that one concept could practically tear a family apart. For years, she and Alex had fought a rear-guard battle to keep their lives under their own control, refusing to give in to the demands of a mother who had their best interests at heart, but paid scant heed to their wishes. And she had all but completely driven away her own husband by her need to keep him from offending the rich and powerful. It had taken all of Althea's influence to break that chain of bitter tension.

Now, Yasna was struggling against the same demon. Not in the way Alex and Sarah and Josh had, but not any less important for all that. She had let her life-choices be guided by a father she respected and loved. Some were made willingly. Others, not. Some had been beneficial. Others, disastrous. The scars left by those choices ran deep. Especially those related to physical intimacy.

Yasna, Sarah sensed, would never let her sexual choices be dictated to her ever again. In fact, now that she was fully recovered from Althea's influence, any attempt to lead her down a path not of her own choosing would almost certainly backfire. Perhaps with unpredictable results.

You better be careful with this one, Althea, she thought, making it a point to remind herself to speak with the succubus when she returned from Alex's rehearsal. You can get away with hitting on me, since we both know we aren't ever going to be a couple. But if you take the same tack with Yasna, she's only going to push you farther and farther away, until there is no hope for you to have a future together. With her, you are going to have to wait to be asked. She hid a wry smile. And won't that be one hell of a surprise for someone who is used to getting what she wants when she wants it!

*****

"Penny for your thoughts," Rachel said quietly. She and Josh were lying together in bed. She was on her stomach, the last throbs of another stupendous orgasm slowly fading away. Josh was lying on his side, slowly running the length of her tail between his fingers.

He smiled at her, though his eyes were troubled. "Only that much? Inflation mounts up, Venus. I think my thoughts have to be worth at least a nickel by now."

He sighed and continued. "I was just wondering what was going to happen when this is over."

"Over?"

"You know." He made an abortive gesture with his free hand, seemingly taking in the house and everyone in it. "Once we kill Kincaid and put this all behind us, what's going to happen? It's not as if we can go back to the way things were."

"That," Rachel said firmly, "is not going to happen." She wiggled her hips impatiently, and Josh went back to stroking her tail. She made a low, satisfied sound, deep in her throat, sounding like nothing more than a happy jungle cat. She looked up at her husband through her lashes. "So what's the deal, honey? Are you afraid that's what's going to happen? Or are you afraid that it's not?"

"A little of both, maybe. Don't get me wrong," he said quickly, meeting his wife's outraged glare firmly. "I don't want to go back to the way things were. I love the fact that we're back together. And I suppose I could get used to the idea of sex with four gorgeous women."

"Five," interrupted Rachel. "Or are you forgetting Yasna?"

"No. Not forgetting. But not suggesting, either. That poor girl-"

"Girl? She's almost as old as we are!"

"Girl," he continued. "Emotionally, at least. She's been hurt, Venus. Hurt bad. If she wants me, she'll ask. And if she doesn't..." he drew her fingers to his mouth, kissing the tips teasingly. "Somehow I'll have to make do with what I already have.

"But what I mean is that our...lifestyle is going to eventually attract attention. The neighbors are going to start to wonder. I mean, eight of us all living here together?"

His wife snorted her amusement. "So who are you, and what did you do with my husband? When did Joshua Sunderman, bane of political correctness and chief shit-stirrer of the art world, start worrying about what everyone else thought?"

"When it affected our children's lives," he said seriously. "Think about it Rachel, because I doubt Alex and Sarah have. If this ever gets out in public, we will be shunned at best and jailed at worst. And our children will be labeled as perverts and deviants. What do you think their futures will be like, if this becomes common knowledge?"

"Then we will just have to make sure it doesn't, won't we?" she said, arching her bottom up into his stroking hand. "But I really think you're jumping at shadows, honey," she continued. "We're not all going to be here at once. And I doubt we'll have all eight living here at a time.

"You and me, certainly. Sarah, most likely. Alex? I'm not sure. He might choose to live up in Evanston. That's one heck of a long commute from here. And that means he might choose to live with Maria. Which means I'll have to find another maid," she said sourly. Rachel had no love or aptitude for domestic duties. "Jeremy? He's been renting a place near UIC during the school year. Though he is welcome here. But Sarah might choose to live with him. Kendall College is closer to UIC than we are.

"Which leaves Althea and Yasna. I don't think Yasna is ready to move in with us. But Althea might. She needs love like a flower needs sunlight, Josh. And I don't think she is going to want to live alone after spending time with so many people who adore her.

"Moral of the story, honey? Don't borrow trouble. This house might become a...a haven for all of us. Someplace to come to and share love on the weekends. But not a home. Not for most.

"Or it might," she said, her face becoming more cheerful. "And if it does, who is going to say we can't? If we are discreet and careful, who is going to whisper a word against us? We have lived in this neighborhood for over a decade. People know us. They aren't going to believe that workaholic Rachel Wainwright has suddenly become a sex-hungry nymphomaniac. Or that Alex is into D and s. Or that Sarah enjoys getting it on with her father.

"Or, especially, that we have an immortal succubus living under our roof who shares our beds. All of them."

Josh considered her words. "You know, you would make an excellent lawyer," he said, earning himself a slap on the butt. "But you're right. We can worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

"Exactly," she replied, drawing his face down for a kiss. They lay entwined for a long moment, Rachel's tail curling possessively around Josh's back. She was just about to suggest a second round when they heard the faint chime of the doorbell. From down the hall, they could hear footsteps (two pairs?) hurrying downstairs.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the bedroom door. At Rachel's relaxed nod, Josh gave permission to enter. Sarah's head poked around the edge of the door. She took in their nude state without blinking. They were, Josh noted with an inward smile, becoming far less body-shy around each other.

"What's up, honey?"

"I...think you better come downstairs. There's a UPS guy at the door, and he has a lot of boxes and he says he needs someone to sign for them."

*****

"Well, Althea," Rachel said, her voice rich with amusement. "I guess you're going to be staying here longer than I thought." She slanted a quick look at Josh, who grinned and took another bite of taco casserole.

The pile of boxes which had greeted Rachel and Josh on the front porch had been truly extraordinary. Luckily, the driver hadn't insisted on Althea's signature, as long as someone would take them off his hands. She and Josh had hauled them upstairs, where, upon hearing about them when she returned from C.O.D. with Alex, Althea had proven to be no different than most other women where clothes were concerned. She had fallen upon the packages like a tigress, opening them with shrieks of glee. She, Maria, and Sarah had spent a happy afternoon trying on clothes, while the echoes of their giggles had reverberated throughout the house.

"Of course, my handmaiden," Althea replied, smiling slyly. "After all, I have to be sure I look my best when I go to Alex's play on Friday night, don't I?

"By the way," she continued, "I have to commend you on letting him choose the artist's path. The boy has a true gift. If he is not one of the foremost actors of his generation, I will eat my new lingerie collection."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Maria said with a sly twinkle in her eye, as Alex blushed in response to Althea's praise. "I swear on the Virgin's grave, you could swallow the whole thing in one mouthful without needing a drink of water."

Jeremy laughed, nearly snorting his drink out through his nose, and had to have his back pounded by Sarah, who was sitting next to him. Althea fixed him with a gimlet stare, though humor lurked in the corners of her mouth. "Laugh it up, boy. What have you been doing all day?"

He returned her look steadily. "I'm working on putting in a garden."

"What?" Both Sarah and Rachel turned their heads to him in astonishment. Althea smiled and hid the expression by taking a drink from her glass of milk. "A garden?" Sarah continued. "What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know," Jeremy said, his tone somewhat defensive. He spread his hands as heads turned towards him. "I was hanging out here today, since I didn't have anything else to do, and I've been forbidden to go home without permission." A hint of good-natured humor crept into his words. "You were having a little heart-to-heart with Yasna, and I didn't want to interrupt.

"So I wandered outside and took a look around out back. I had no idea how far back your property line went, Rachel. You have room to put in a damn big garden. And I'm sure Sarah wouldn't mind really fresh vegetables rather than that crap from California and Texas they sell at the Jewel.

"So I went and rented a tiller from Home Depot and broke ground on a vegetable patch. Nothing too huge. Maybe around a thousand square feet or so, back behind those maple trees in the backyard." He colored slightly as he looked at Josh and Rachel. "I know it's your property, and I didn't have any right to do it. If you want, I can put grass seed down, and in a month or so you won't even know I did anything."

"Well," Josh drawled. "I don't think we should be hasty." He glanced at Rachel. "What do you think, Venus?"

"I think if Jeremy has gone to the trouble of breaking the ground, then the least we can do is see what he makes of it," Rachel replied. She turned to her former intern. "What are you planning on planting?"

"Well," he said, "It's a little late for some things. "We're into June already. But we can still put in lettuce and radishes and carrots. Peppers too, I think. It might be a little late in the year for green beans and tomatoes-"

Sarah made a gagging noise, and Jeremy paused, looking at her curiously. "What?"

"Green beans make me blow chunks," Alex said, snickering, and was joined by his parents as Sarah threw a wadded-up napkin at him.

"Sarah doesn't like green beans," he explained to the room at large. "And one time when she was about eleven, she used that line on Mom and Dad. I don't know, maybe she had been watching a bunch of stoner movies or something. But I thought Mom was going to bust a gut, she was laughing so hard."

Sarah raised a finger in warning. "Don't. Say. Another. Word."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Alex said, scooching his seat behind Maria's in mock terror.

"Anyway," Jeremy went on. "We should be able to get some good salad fixings out of the garden, at least. I'm planning on sowing the seeds over the next few days. And next year, with the ground broken and an earlier start, you can put in whatever you want. Green beans," he said with a teasing look at Sarah. "Onions, squash, broccoli, strawberries, maybe even a grape arbor. I bet my father could help me get some grape vines."

"What happened to the law?" Rachel asked.

"I'm going to be an environmental lawyer," he replied, his jaw set stubbornly. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to have time to grub around in the dirt as well." He cast a look around the table, meeting their gazes firmly. "I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. My father loves the land and growing things. So do I."

Althea smiled at him fondly, and saw her expression mirrored by all the women in the family. Yasna, especially, was looking at him with an approving gaze.

Not surprising. It stands to reason that a healer would be drawn to someone who loves health and nature.

"Well," Rachel said lightly, "it seems that when I was interviewing potential interns last winter, I made a better choice than I knew." She looked around the table, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "You all have permission to thank me."

"That's what we always appreciate about you, Mom," Sarah said dryly. "The way you're always so modest."

A warm wave of loving laughter circled around the table. Rachel tossed her head. "False modesty is overrated. When you're as fantastic as we are, it is ridiculous to try to hide our lights under a bushel."

Althea looked at her, frowning slightly. "Try not to get a swelled head, my handmaiden. You are all special, to be sure. Special to me. And special in a way I cannot even properly articulate. It is as if the Almighty himself gathered us together for a special purpose.

"But special is not better. That is what led the Forsaken down the path that led to the Pit. Thinking that because they had powers endowed upon them by God that humans did not share, that they were somehow superior. I am still fighting the results of that mistake to this very day."

She fell quiet, eating her meal, and Yasna suddenly felt a sudden moment of kinship with her. "It was the same way in my parents' country," she said softly. "Men who should have been spiritual guides and leaders, who were responsible for leading men and women towards the light, became tyrants, satisfied with nothing but increasing their power. All that it led to was anger, hatred, and repression."

"Exactly," Althea said, her glorious green eyes bright. "So my father taught me. To always be wary of that tiny voice inside you which insists that your desires, your pleasures, should take precedence over all others."

"But what about..." Sarah trailed off, biting her lip.

"But what about sex, you ask? Well, that is the most important thing of all. Since the power of the succubi flows from sexual pleasure, it is crucial for us to make sure that consent is always received before we take a human to bed."

"Or the chair. Or the floor. Or the couch," said Josh.

"Yes," she replied, smiling. "Those places, too. Or the back seats of automobiles, once they were invented. That was a happy discovery," she said, sighing in pleasant reminiscence. "So much more freedom, when you can just get in a car and go.

"But to go back to my original point, while the succubi get their power from sex, that power is never compelled or taken against the will of the...of the donor, let us say, of that power. It is always given freely. Not," she continued with a forgivable smirk, "that I have ever had to work very hard to get it. Most men and women were usually eager to couple with me. But, still, it is a lesson I never forgot. And one which you would do well to learn, Rachel. You might be special, yes. You have been chosen by me, certainly. But you must forever be on your guard against vanity and overweening pride. The day you begin to think you are better than your fellow humans is the day our relationship will end. I will leave you before I let you become something I hate."

Yasna held her breath, stunned by the raw emotion in Althea's voice. There was naked anguish there, as if she spoke from pain that had never truly healed.

"Who was he?" she heard her voice suddenly asking.

Althea stared down at her plate and picked at her food with her fork. For a long moment, she was silent, and everyone at the table held their breath.

"Mahazioth," she whispered. When she looked up, her face was full of grief. "He was a musician in the court of King David of Israel."

"What?" Maria's eyes were wide. "You mean, the real King David? Like, the 'David and Goliath' David?"

She nodded. "David was the second king of the Kingdom of Israel. About three thousand years ago, give or take a century. He was a strong king, and wise. And he loved music and poetry. Though that story about Goliath was bullshit. It was just something one of the court bards made up to curry favor with David. He thought it was hilarious. Amazing how that made it into the Bible when so many other things about the man were left out.

"I came through there, on my way north from Egypt." Her lips quirked. "It was never hard to gain admittance to a king's court in those days. All I had to do was show up and they would fall all over themselves letting me in.

"And that's where I met Mahazioth. Oh, he was a beauty, with dark skin and curly black hair. And he could play a lyre to make the gods weep.

"I took him to my bed, and made my home there. David wasn't jealous. He had concubines enough." Her lips curled bitterly. "Strange how the god of the Hebrews never cared much about adultery when it was one of his kings doing the adultering.