Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 15

The doctors at the hospital verbalize bands mop upurance was a miracle. Which, of course, it was.The police officers who talked to all in all of us believed readinesss actions had been rash exactly in the want manner admirable. Defending a fair maiden tends to elicit that reaction, and since stage set hadnt been killed, noneone else viewed his gallant defense quite the corresponding as I did. Because honestly?I thought it was stupid.I thought it was so stupid, and I was furious. beyond furious. Id surpassed it and moved into an uncharted bea of en lyssament.What had he been thinking?I wasnt thinking, he told me in a low voice, when I questioned him in the ER. The others had stepped forth for a moment, busy with other things, and it was only when the two of us. Seth model on the bed, face still pale, further otherwise alive and well. That computed axial tomography had a gun. You were in his line of fire.I opened my mouth to solicit the poor logic there, only whe n one of the doctors stepped grit inside. She requiremented to bear Seth, and I backed out of the room before I express something Id regret. Seth might ready acted like an idiot, yet he was in the hospital with a major injury. Blowing up right straightaway credibly wasnt the most appropriate course of action for the healing process.Instead, I desire out Vincent. After his interview with the police, hed stationed himself down the hall, back against the wall and pass stuffed into his pockets. He tilted his head back, face staring miserably up at the ceiling.Hey, I tell, circumspectionful to keep a safe basis between us.He glanced down at me. Hey. How is he?Fine considering e trulything. The doctors are amazed the bullet missed.Vincent off away and gazed blankly down the hall. He squelched silent.I didnt subsist what to say. Soyoure a nephilim. Hows that working out?Frankly, I could guess how that was working out. Horribly. Nephilim were the offspring of angels and huma ns. Those angels were now demons, of course. You couldnt sleep around with caustic humans and still play for heavens team as Id noned with Yasmine. It was wherefore Jerome had fallen. In what had to be the most unfair deal in the world, m each other(prenominal) nephilim had been hunted and killed by angels and demons horizontal their own parents. Heaven and Hell viewed nephilim as dangerous abominations. The fact that nephilim tended to dumbfound unruly natures and poor impulse chair in didnt really help their reputation.As a result of their persecution, nephilim usually walked the world disguised, hiding the full brunt of their power which rivaled their parents as well as the perpetual signatures that could give them away. And while I felt bad for them, they nonetheless shake the hell out of me. Many of them held grudges against angels, demons, and anyone else immortal. Jeromes son Roman was like that. He had come to Seattle a few months ago and embarked on a punis h killing spree. Looking at Vincent now, I wondered if I was dealing with the same sort of thing.DoesYasmine know? I asked after several to a greater extent embarrassing moments.His eyeball flicked back to me. Of course. He state it with the same matter-of-fact tincture hed used when wed talked about their relationship. It was a tone that implied how could she non know? resembling it was absurd that he would keep anything from the woman he loved.It kills her, he say with a sigh. Its eating her up inside.Becauseofwhat you are?No. His eyes were so sad that I almost forgot he came from a race of uber-powerful psychopaths. She doesnt automobilee about that part. What she cant stand is that its a secret. That she has to hide everything. You know they cant lie entirely shes not exactly telling the truth either. Its deceitful, and she hates that. And I hate that she hates it. Ive try to end ourthing a couple of times, but she wont do it becauseBecause she loves you, I finished.Vin cent shrugged and looked away from me again.Im sorry, I told him at prevail. And I was. How horrible. Yasmine loving anyone was dangerous enough, but for her to love one of the most despised creatures in our worldwell, yeah. That took it to an simply different level. An angel should have been reporting Vincents existence, not hiding it.Vincent sullen his attention back to me. Who will you tell? Carter? Jerome?I stared into those dark, dark eyes, those eyes filled with so much sorrow and so much love. I stopped being afraid of him. He wasnt Roman.No one, I verbalize quietly. Im not going to tell anyone.He turned incredulous. why? You know what I am. You know you could secure in trouble for hiding me. wherefore wouldnt you tell?I thought about it. Because the system is fucked up.I went back to Seths room after that, and when I stepped out into the hall later, Vincent was gone. He wasnt at my apartment when I returned home that night.Seth was released the following morning, and I stayed home from work with him.I dont need to be coddled, Thetis, he told me gently though I could swear there was the tiniest hint of annoyance in his voice. Im fine. I wont break.We were seated in his living room, side by side on the couch. He had his laptop, and I had a novel. I folded a corner of the paginate I was on and shut the book.I wished to tell Seth that he would break, that thats what it meant to be mortal. I wanted to tell him a atomic number 19 things, just like Id wanted to in the hospital, but once more(prenominal) I swallowed my olfactory propertys.You just need to pee-pee it easy, I said. And I want to make sure you dont do anything too crazy.Right. Because my usual bread and butterstyle is so physically vigorous.He had a height. Most of his twenty-four hourss were washed-out sitting and writing. He wasnt too likely to burst another artery that way.I just want you to be careful, I said obstinately. You were shot last night, remember? Thats not the sam e as falling on the ice.You all overreacted to that too.Is it so wrong to care about you?He sighed and returned to his work. I had a feeling I wasnt the only one biting back angry words. We spent most of the day like that, talking little. Whenever he expressed any interest in something food, drink, etc. I was quick to jump up and aim it for him. I was the perfect nurse/servant. Finally, around dinnertime, he looked like he was nearing a breaking bloom.Arent your friends doing something tonight? he asked stiffly.Are you try to get rid of me?Just asking.Theyre having a card granulose.You arent going?No, Ill stay here with you.You should go.I dont want to leave you. In case you need something.Then make water me with you.What? I exclaimed. But you need to take it easy, rest, not strain myself. I know, I know. But look, Im kind of acquire confine fever here, and honestly, I think youd benefit from a little distraction.Seth Georgina, he interrupted. It wont be much different than this. More sitting around, pull out with Better company?Thats not what I mean, he said.We went back and forth, and as we did, I wondered when wed reached this point in our relationship. Hitherto everything had been giddy and sentimental with us. How had we cut across the line into nagging? When had we started getting on each others nerves? In movies, life-threatening experiences are supposed to bring people together.I in conclusion relented, and we went over to Peter and Codys place. The gang consisting of Hugh, Peter, Cody, and Carter tonight was surprised to fancy us since Seth often avoided immortal social events. But socially tactless or no, Seth liked playing cards. It was the kind of analytical activeness he enjoyed, and he could often get by without talking very much.Just before the game started, Niphon showed up. He and I exchanged shortened glares and then proceeded to ignore each other.Inevitably, Seth getting shot came up in conversation.You threw yourself in front of a gun for her? asked Peter, clearly impressed.Well, said Seth, a little uncomfortable at all those eyes on him. Mostly I seek to jostle it away.You mean, disarm him?Wellno. More likejostle. I dont really know how to disarm anyone.I calculate maybe you took combat classes in order to write those fight scenes in your books, explained Peter.Seth shook his head. Never been in a fight in my life. Until last night.Thats awesome, said Cody. Risking your life in the name of love.I stared at the vampires disbelievingly while they babbled on about how nasty Seths feat had been. They peppered him with more questions about the attack, and the anger Id been trying to squelch since last night unploughed building and building. Across the table, Niphon listened with a smirk. Carter, in his usual way, concealed his feelings. I wanted to know why he wasnt out with the other angels, but the Seth thing was taking precedence over my curiosity.One thing struck me as odd. Hugh, listening q uietly, seemed as angry as I did. I would have expected him to jump right in with the vampires, jubilantly pestering Seth for action-packed details and waxing on about how unruffled Seths heroics had been. But the imps face looked dark and stony, his eyes fixed pointedly on his cards.The guy was probably high, remarked Peter. Never know what that might bring out. You jumping in like that was pretty ballsy when you think about it.I couldnt take it anymore.It was stupid I cried. Everyones heads jerked in my direction. I ignored them, my eyes on Seth. It was foolish and idiotic and, and I couldnt think of any more synonyms, so I let it go. You shouldnt have done it. He couldnt have wound me. He couldnt have killed me. You should have let me handle itI knew that Seth despised being the center of a commotion like this, but he returned my gaze with a surprisingly fierce one.Georgina, there was a man with a gun in a dark alley. You were in front of him. Do you really think I was runn ing by dint of all sorts of logical scenarios at the time? Oh, lets see. Shes immortal, so even if she gets shot, theres nil to worry about.Yes, I growled. That is what you should have been thinking.What I was thinking was The woman I love is in danger, and I would rather die myself than see anything make it to her.But nothing would have happened to meIts a basic human understanding to protect the ones you love. Even if theyre immortal.That doesnt make any sense.Thats because its been too grand since you were human, he snapped.It was like being hit. I shot up from my chair and walk off to the tub. Angry tears were welling up in my eyes, and I refused to let them show in front of my friends. Leaning my forehead against the mirror, I seek to do all the standard tricks for calming down. Deep breathing. Counting to ten. none of it worked.I didnt get it. I just didnt get it. And apparently, Seth didnt either. Why couldnt he understand? Getting shot in my head, in my heart, what ever would screw propeller hurt. The pain would be excruciating. But in a day or so, Id recover. Id go on.But Seth wouldnt. Why did he not see how serious this was? Death was forever. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to block out the image of Seth dead. Cold. Still. No more propel in those brown eyes. No more warm hand to hold mine. A sob built up in me, and I constrained it away.After more deep breathing, I eventually felt like I could return to the others. But as I stepped out of the bathroom and started to round the corner back to the kitchen, I hear more shouting. Hugh.It was brave, o.k.? Noble. Gallant. Worthy of a gold star. But shes right. It was stupid. It was so fucking stupid, and youre even more fucking stupid for not realizing it.I get it, said Seth. I could hear the weariness and exasperation in his voice. I could have died. I know, okay? But I wasnt thinking about the larger workings of the universe. I was thinking about her.No, said Hugh. You werent. I am so godd amned tired of hearing everyone talk about how tough it is to be you. They all go on and on about how amazing it is that you can handle this relationship with her. But, Christ. Really, whats hard about it? You have this beautiful, burnished girlfriend who doesnt fucking age. She loves you. I know you cant have sex, and everyone acts like thats the end of the world, but come on. Shes given you the green light to go get it somewhere else. I dont really see you suffering that much.Whats your point? asked Seth.My point is that shes the one who suffers. She knows your life is a ticking time bomb. What have you got, another fifty years maybe? And thats if disease or an accident doesnt take you first. Fifty years, and youre gone. She has to live with that every day, knowing that in one breath, your life could be snuffed out like that. I heard Hughs fingers snap. non hurt. Not injured. Gone. She is going to watch you age, watch you gray and wither away, and when you do at last die, its going to destroy her.There was a moments silence, then I heard Seth say uncertainly, Fifty years isnt anything compared to the scope of her life. Shell get over me. As everyone keeps reminding me, shes immortal.All that means is that she has more time to mourn. If you had any fucking regard for her, you would have ended this stupid romance a long time ago. You would have never gotten involved. She was uncertain at first, but now shes in. She isnt going to give you up. You could turn into the worlds biggest asshole, and she still wouldnt do it not with all these romantic ideals she has now. She loves too easily and gets hurt too easily.I finally forced myself to move in the ensuing silence. Everyone looked away from me, except Niphon. He was obviously enjoying all of this. I sat back down, and the card game commenced. None of us were really into it, though. The atmosphere was stiff, the conversation forced and halting. It was the proverbial elephant in the room situation. When Pete r awkwardly said he was getting tired, the rest of us practically flew out of our seats to leave.As I was putting on my coat, Carter strolled over to me.Seth makes his own choices, as is his right, Carter said softly. The angel was regarding me in that way that always sent chills down my spine. soulfulness wearing such an ugly baseball cap really shouldnt have that kind of ability. Honestly, how did his hats always get so dirty? You can rage all you want, but in the end, mortals live their lives the way they decide to. Its not our place to interfere with that.Of course it is, I said. Its what you guys do. Its what we all do. Thats the whole point of the Heaven and Hell battle we purposely interfere with peoples lives.Yes, but this is different.No, its not. Beyond him, I saw Niphon saying something to Seth. Great. The imp was probably trying to corrupt his soul. That was so not what I needed right now. I turned back to Carter. Look, Ive got to go. Say hi to the Get Along Gang when you see them.I dragged Seth away from Niphon, and we headed home. I hadnt thought things between us could be any more uncomfortable than they had been at Peters, but the car ride proved me wrong. Earlier, Seth and I had discussed him staying over at my place, but as I merged onto I-5, he asked, Id kind of like to get some more work done. Do you mind if I just go home?The elephant had apparently joined us in the car now. I smiled tightly and kept my eyes on the road. Sure. No problem.