Succubus Rising Ch. 07

NOTE:

Fair warning, no sex in this chapter.

Still not edited aside from proofreading.

This chapter is shorter than the others. I have nothing to say for myself on that point.

Feel free to skip this next note...

***

For some reason, I felt the need to put something here other than my usual short notes. As I'm reading through these to proof them, it strikes me that Jezza might seem quite cold, accepting things too easily. There is a very good reason for this - it's the exact way I handle my own personal emotional shit. I stuff it down to deal with in very short, very intense private moments until I get my shit together and shove it away again for another bad day. Between those moments, I've actually been told I'm cold about a personal loss, or something that should have me leaping for joy, you get the idea. Because I don't know how to show my own personal stuff, I don't know how to write these reactions in my POV characters. Yeah, that should make things suitably awkward. Hope y'all skipped it, but I'm still leaving it here as an explanation. Just know that Jezza is dealing with things in the one way I know how to deal with things... by ignoring the fuck out of it.

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Chaz had Ferrel drive us all to my old house. Apparently, there was some sort of old rule that said she could meet both of them. I just wanted to see my home again, hug my mom again. The ride was quiet. Ferrel had gotten a few minutes with me before the men came out to the truck and assured me all was well with everyone. I had been more than a little embarrassed to think I hadn't spared them much thought since leaving. Before leaving, I hadn't thought of much other than getting from day to day without being punished.

Chaz was also going to be sending Kelsey to Bane's. He didn't like that there wasn't more help around the house or something. Bane said she could have the room that had been finished out in the attic since it had a small bath attached. I hadn't even known there was a room up there. It was small with dramatically angled walls, but it fit a bed and a chair just fine and had a small but full bath attached. Her work would be drastically reduced, but Bane said he would have her get her license so she could do more and not be bored. When I suggested she could go to school for something to cut down on boredom, they both gave me blank stares. Assholes.

The scenery slowly changed from the hill country to the urban sprawl of San Antonio's suburbs. I started recognizing things and remembering times spent at the mall, working in small offices, and helping to clean the parks. It wasn't long before we were in the residential area where my mom had lived for as long as I could remember, and then we were in front of the house. My truck was still there where I used to park it, though I doubted my mom had driven it much.

Ferrel parked in the drive next to my truck and I got out before he could open the door for me. This was my home and I didn't need to be escorted. My mom opened the front door and smiled at me, but it was a sad smile.

"You've grown so much, baby girl," she said, coming to me for a hug. I wrapped myself around the familiar smell and feel of her, but my power twinged and I suddenly wanted to get away from here. I squashed the feeling and smiled back at her. "That's normal, and not unexpected given the circumstances. I didn't think I'd see you again once I was told you were being sent to Asher regularly."

"You knew where I was this whole time?" I stared at her. She blushed, and looked at the lawn and then beyond me to the men still climbing from the car. "Could you have gotten me away from there?"

"No," the pain on her face was genuine. "But I think what Bane has told me is right. I think you needed it even if none of us wanted it this way. Y'all come on inside. I suppose there will be questions."

I followed her into the house and ached at the familiar furniture and decor. Chaz had an extravagant sprawling miniature mansion, and Bane had a comfortable enough ranch, but this open-floor mid-century style would always be home for me.

"Ma'am," Bane stepped forward with his hand extended.

"Ah ah," my mom waved him off. "It's Margot, demon. And well you know it. You may be fucking my daughter but that doesn't make me 'ma'am' to you. Oh, honey," she turned to me. "I loaded a couple of your old backpacks with some books that you'll need to take with you later. I should have done this a long time ago."

She sat on one of the dining chairs and motioned the rest of us to sit as well. "Ask your questions, demons. I'll answer what I can around the spell. It shouldn't be too rough since you aren't council members."

Chaz cleared his throat, "Ah, it would help a great deal if we knew who her sire was so we could get a good estimate of the power ceiling she will face."

"There won't be a ceiling for her," my mom waved him off the same as she'd done to Bane. "If she can manage not to turn siren, that is."

"There's always a ceiling..." Bane's voice trailed off because she waved him off again.

"The spell isn't going to let me name him. It's why I keep waving you off. You're going to have to make guesses here, and I can tell you if he's higher or lower in the hierarchy. I'm not sure it will let me tell you if you land on his name, or if my head will explode. This is a doozy of a nondis spell. I was half out of my mind when the council had me."

"You didn't name any demons to the council, so we don't even have a starting point, woman." Chaz was getting angry. I stared at the table so I didn't draw his attention.

"I said she won't have a power ceiling if you can keep her sane, demon. That's your starting point. I'd flat tell you if I were able, but unfortunately I can't spell it out loud and very slow."

"You're saying it's a prince," Bane stared at her, and then at me. "Her sire is one of the surviving princes?"

My mother rapped on the table with her knuckles, "I can't say."

"She's going to eat the council alive," Chaz was staring at me, and I could feel his power probing.

"Feel her up later," my mother shook her head and rolled her eyes. "She's not royalty, that's not how it works. It just means her ceiling will be higher than anyone on the council is easily able to handle. I can't say who her sire is, the spell won't let me name him. Know that Satan himself doesn't want her in the hands of the council, but he won't actively step in to prevent it."

"Do you still have contact with them? You're talking like you just got off the phone with one of the princes or something," Bane rubbed his hands over his face.

"Of course," she stared at him for a moment. "They've kept contact with the four of us who managed to escape, and yes, there are at least three others just like her. The council has grown weak, and neither the kings nor the princes are happy about it."

Bane looked almost pained, but across from him Chaz had his chin in his hand and was staring at the table. "Are we supposed to let the council call her to chambers at all?"

"Avoid it as long as possible," she rose from the table and went to the fridge, pulling a pitcher of tea out before grabbing glasses. "Two of the others have yet to bloom, and the council needs to become aware of them all first. That was an important part and they made sure I could say it." She poured me a glass of tea and I knew it would be sweet. After pouring her own glass she left the pitcher and two cups in the middle of the table for the others and I almost choked. "They need to go to the council with as many as possible, preferably all of them at once."

"Why?" I asked. This was all confusing as hell for me, but I figured if she could make the men pour their own drinks, I could ask questions on my own.

"They want them dead," she smiled. "There are differences between a low born succubus, and a second generation born to a high born succubus and a prince or king. They're going to do everything short of actual rape in those chambers, forcing at least one of you to turn. I can't explain it all, but you'll find the answers to a lot of this in your backpacks."

"What did you pack for me?" I set my tea down and stood to go find the bags, knowing she'd either follow me or raise her voice so I could hear.

"They're my journals, and as many of my sister's journals as I was able to get my hands on."

I went to my bedroom to find it basically the same as I had left it. The backpacks in the middle of the bed were old ones from years ago and I had always wondered why she'd kept them. I guess I had my answer now. I lifted one to my shoulder only to have the weight lifted from me.

"Grab the other one, and see if she'll give you your truck keys. I have a feeling we'll need it at some point." Bane turned with the one bag and went to the front door. Chaz was still at the table, but mom was only glaring at him.

"The keys are where you always left them, and I kept everything up in the hopes you'd get through the last year," my mom stood from the table and hugged me again. It was even more uncomfortable having her so close, and I realized why when she looked at Bane and Chaz again. She was the competition now, and my power wanted to warn her off. I squashed it again and just enjoyed the last few moments with my mom.

I followed Chaz and Bane out the door, my mom bringing up the rear. She had a weird smile on her face and I was pretty sure this was the last time we'd see each other. Maybe this was why the succubi didn't have children. Their power couldn't abide another of their own kind under the same roof for long. I put the pack I carried in the back seat of the truck next to the other one. God, it somehow still smelled the same. The seats were cloth, but I treated myself to the nice leather scent from a local car detailing place. If I looked, I bet my purse would still be inside the center console. Somewhere in the background a large vehicle drove away and a door shut, and then Bane was behind me with his hands sliding around my waist.

My mom was as good as gone. My life, or whatever there had been of it, was gone. I had a truck full of journals inside obnoxious neon backpacks in the back seat, and I couldn't breathe. The year of hanging above Asher's marble floors, of the mixture of pain and pleasure from Chaz, all came flooding through me. I had tried to push it away, tried to roll with the ease that had come to everything in my time with Bane, but the shackles had only softened. I would never be free again. I silently thanked my mother for the bit of a normal life she had given me as I shoved all of the emotions back and away to deal with later. And through it all, Bane held me.

I handed him the keys and walked around to the passenger side without a word. To try to hide my shaking hands, I started poking around in the glove compartment and center console while Bane drove. The registration was up to date and there had been a recent oil change. My purse was still in the console, my driver's license expired as expected but I didn't think they'd be letting me drive soon. Maybe Kelsey would drive my truck or something.

We drove through the city, meandering until almost sunset before Bane aimed in a direction that might get us to his house before midnight. When traffic eased and he was able to get up to a cruising speed, he reached across the console for my hand. He never said anything, but the contact was enough. I didn't poke at the nasty pile of memories and thoughts shoved to the back of my mind, but I did relax for the rest of the ride. I couldn't do anything about them for the time being. I'm not even sure if a lifetime of therapy would help me sort myself out.

Bane turned into his drive and put the truck in park, but then sat there with his hand on the key before finally killing the power. When he pulled the key from the ignition he handed it back to me. "You can go whenever you want, Jezza. I won't hold you here. We'll always know where each other is and will always be able to find each other, but you don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

I laughed, but the sound was harsh leaving my lips, "And go where? With what money? And what do I do when the council finds me on my own, far away from the one person that might be able to calm my power enough for me to think? That's not really a choice, Bane. It's a death sentence disguised as a choice."

I reached behind me and grabbed one of the bags and dragged it over the console and got out of the truck. When Bane shut his door with a thump I pushed the button that locked the truck and made it beep before shoving the key in a pocket. Bane's wards washed over me and almost felt welcoming as I walked through the door he'd opened. He took my bag and walked with both of them to his bedroom, and I followed numbly.

The shower was hot, but I just went through the motions of getting clean. Hair, face, body, done. Just like after every session with Asher. I toweled off and got as much of the water out of my hair as I could before slipping into a pair of panties and tank top that hit mid-thigh and crawled into bed. Bane settled in behind me as I stared at the wall. It took a long time to fall asleep.

===

"She said there were more, just put a call in," Chaz's voice carried through the house and I groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow over my head and muffling the sounds.

I drifted between sleeping and being fully awake. I didn't want to get out of bed, I didn't want to face everything that was happening, but I knew I wouldn't be able to hide. Rolling out of bed, I went and took care of the more pressing matters before I embarrassed myself and then turned on the shower. We had fed the hunger earlier before everybody started showing up, and I needed to be clean. The hot water beat along my back, helping to wash away some of the tension.

I dug around in the dresser for jeans and a t-shirt and headed out to the kitchen. I couldn't hide any longer and besides that, I needed to eat. All four of them were there again with papers spread across the table and Turq pointing to places to sign.

"What do you mean you haven't read them yet?" Chaz asked Bane as he scrawled his signature across several pages. "They were given as a possible resource."

"They're not mine to read," Bane glanced at me as I walked in, but turned back to the paperwork. I went to the fridge and pulled sandwich stuff out.

"I'll read them later," I said. "I was a little out of it last night."

Having so many people in the house was becoming a habit. Larian had a laptop out and his phone to his ear, mostly ignoring us. Turq gathered papers into clips and then spread more out for signing. I saw Kelsey in the hallway, too. Chaz must have brought her with him. The sandwich I made tasted like cardboard, but I ate it and leaned against the counter.

Turq passed another bundle of paperwork across the table then stood, bringing a small folder to me. "These are for you to go through, Jezza. Chaz can handle screening most of the contract offers, but you have the final say. It's been nearly a month since Larian made his contract, and you fulfilled it almost a week ago. That opened the field. These are the ones that got through Chaz."

I took the folder and set it on the counter unopened. "You don't have the luxury of time with those, Jezza," Bane said from the table.

"Fine," I sighed and took them out. Glancing through them, I recognized two names from overheard conversations. I signed the top one and handed it back to Turq.

Bane and Chaz both looked like they had eaten bugs, seeing me sign a contract without really looking at it. Except for the past few days, they had both been throwing random examples of contracts at me. But it was the name on that one that had caught my eye. Bane looked like he might actually say something when Larian set his phone on the table.

"The council has found one of the other second generation succubi and is now insisting Jezza answer their summons," he said. The other three turned to stare at him instead of me, and I was okay with that. "The girl's mother was exactly as helpful as Margot, so they have no idea who has been intentionally breeding succubi under their noses. We won't be able to dodge the summons for much longer before they start sending enforcers and getting violent."

"Ah," Turq handed the signed contract to Bane with a smile. "I think we can stall them for at least the next two weeks."

Bane groaned and handed it to Chaz. "She didn't read anything more than the names. She couldn't have known this would happen."

For the first time, Chaz smiled as he looked at the contract and then laughed. "Let them try to force her into chambers with this on the books. How fast can you file it?" He asked Turq.

Turq took the contract back and took a picture with his phone, tapped a few things, and then waited. His phone made a small ding and he said, "It's filed, and goes active in two hours."

"What the hell did I sign?" I asked.

Bane handed me the contract and I looked more closely at it, my eyebrows raising at some of the terms. I had signed it because it was with Turq, a name I at least recognized if nothing else. The contract, however, was for two weeks of time at his estate and with at least one other person to be named by him at his convenience. There was a cost analysis attached to the contract that made my heart skip, but what stood out was the healer training added in almost as an afterthought at the end.

"Why the hell would you sign a contract without reading it?" Bane asked.

"Spite," I answered. "Both of you were watching me like you expected me to be the good little student and it pissed me off a little. I signed the one with the most recognizable name."

Turq let out a bark of laughter at the looks of dismay I was getting for that bit of sass. "Go pack, you need two weeks worth of clothing. And bring the journals, you'll have time to read through some of them. My driver will be back in time for us to go." He turned back to the table to gather up the latest round of papers. "You guys can let her blindly sign contracts as often as you like."

"I can drive there," I said, thinking of my truck in the drive.

"I have no doubt about that, love," Turq was a little too pleased. "But you might not be able to drive yourself back when we're done."

"I was able to walk the day after fulfilling my contract with Larian," I pushed away from the counter and went to the hall. "I doubt you'll be that much better."