6

When I met Arthur at lunch the next day, I was struck by how gaunt he looked. He seemed very excited in a feverish sort of way. He laughed a lot, his sunken eyes glistening in his pale face. This time the contrast between his appearance and his behavior was dramatic. At a certain point I thought I noticed something deep in his eyes: the glint of a cry for help coming from someone invisible within who was immediately shoved aside by a powerful alien force.

Robert was all doom and gloom. He only spoke to Cesar, dropping short phrases in his direction. Finally I met Arthur's sister. A sickly ash blonde, Maya looked like her brother's scaled-down copy. She didn't say a single word over the course of dinner, staring down at her plate. Only occasionally did she look up at Arthur, the concern palpable in her stare, and even more occasionally at me as if trying to figure out what I was doing there. I wondered if Robert and Cesar had explained to her the nature of Arthur's problems. Or had they spared her the anxiety, leaving her to do her own guesswork?

Arthur was getting out of control. He showered me with compliments and dirty jokes, poking fun at Cesar and his father and virtually ignored his sister. Only once did he address her with a "Pass me the salt," uttered in such a voice that Maya poured her orange juice all over herself.

After lunch, Cesar cornered me in a soft chair under a palm tree and began dishing out instructions. He took his chance to clue me in on the basics of succubus and incubus exorcism while Arthur had to go back to the university. Soon my head was bursting with the amount of demonology he tried to cram in.

I wasn't exactly pleased that he didn't look too happy to see me again. He treated me as a friend — but he didn't seem to have a girlfriend, did he? He never phoned anyone, never texted anything with a tale-telling faint smile on his lips.

With an inhuman effort, I forced all these thoughts deep into my subconscious. I didn't need all this insecurity. I didn't need to fall in love with him. Having said that, I actually must have done so already. I'd have to think about it some other time. Now I had to concentrate on the job. I had to pull a demon out of a human body.

Then Cesar took me outside into the summer house in the garden.

"This is your love nest," he explained. "This is where you're going to work. It's a much better environment for exorcising an incubus than a regular room. There're many more places for me to hide to make sure I'm at hand at the right moment."

We checked this so-called "love nest". It was originally an octagonal conservatory, very pretty, covered with ivy whose branches covered the enormous wall-to-ceiling windows. Thick scarlet curtains blocked the windows from the inside, creating a cozy gloom even in daytime.

I gave a mental sigh. This could have been a perfect love nest for Cesar and myself.

We burned the pentagram into the floor. Cesar then covered it with a carpet and began shoving bunches of herbs under it.

"What do you remember about demons' nature? Tell me now."

Remembering it was definitely in my interests. I began unbending fingers one by one,

"They can be either ethereal or physical. Four elements in total: fire and air, water and earth. Ethereal demons are always male, called incubi. They can be either fire or air. They're ugly and vicious. They are contained by the herbs, er, let me think, yes: by the herbs of a cold nature. Then they should be disembodied using the herbal noose. Physical demons are always female, they're either water or earth. They are contained with warm fumigations and destroyed by the emanations of warm wood."

Mechanically my hand slid into my pocket to feel Mrs. Prudence's dart. The wood was still warm even though it had been more than twenty-four hours since she'd made it. Could it be magic? The last few days had been quite an eye-opener, but still I couldn't help wondering.

More bunches of "cold" herbs hung under the ceiling, cleverly camouflaged inside some vines. A couple of men staggered in with an enormous mattress, super king size, and threw a velvet cover over it. Cesar was already busy placing his candles and braziers all around it.

"Take some pillows and quilts and throw them onto the mattress," he told me. "I'm already fed up with doing everything myself."

"Are you sure he won't smell a rat?" I picked up a pile of fancy pillows and cushions and threw them onto the mattress in nice artistic disarray. "Are we getting some sheets at all?"

"I'll be in here," Cesar said. "Robert won't forgive another epic fail like the last time. I want you to know that."

"What do you mean?"

By way of answer, Cesar pulled one of the scarlet curtains aside. Apparently, the curtains were also hung over some niches between the windows. Originally they were probably meant to house some statues but now they stood vacant.

I couldn't believe his nerve. "Are you sure? Don't forget Arthur can sense you. Even though the room is big, you're going to be right next to us! And besides, I simply won't be able to relax knowing you're here."

"I'm afraid you'll have to," Cesar's face was serious. "I'll come prepared. Your job is to lure the incubus out and I'll do the rest. We only have one hit at it. If the demon realizes we're trying to catch him, he'll stay put. And then, I'm afraid, nothing will save Arthur — Arthur himself, I mean. You haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing a host after a month of demonic possession."

"I don't think I want to," I mumbled. Despite the apparent danger an incubus presented to his host, I sometimes wished it could possess Cesar instead.

"And for crying out loud, please don't provoke him!" he repeated. "Demons possess superhuman strength and very negative morals. When angered, they lose control, destroying everything around them. I've already buried a less prudent friend and I don't want to go through it again. Do you hear me?" he squeezed my shoulder. I looked into his eyes and shrank mentally. Could Arthur really harm me? Then again, if he did, it wouldn't actually be him, of course.

"How can they destroy anything if they're immaterial?" I asked.

"Don't you remember breaking that locket of yours on that succubus bitch's head? Furious with being dragged out of a warm human body, a demon can transcend to a higher plane. They can't actually move any objects — only the strongest and the vilest of demonic overlords can do that. But they can control our reality. They can burn or freeze you, they can also change the voltage in electric appliances... So please be careful, Allie. Please."

I nodded. "Will do my best. If you promise not to call me Allie. I'm Allison and always will be."

"If you wish. So how are you going to pull him out?"

Good question. I kept asking myself the same thing.

Arthur arrived at dinner time. I'd no idea if the incubi could experience some semblance of injured male pride or whether they weren't properly sated if they failed to satisfy their victim (myself in this case) — or maybe I just hadn't provided the kind of nutrition he needed. In any case, he buzzed around me like a bee around a honey pot, apparently trying to suss out what it had been that I hadn't liked the last time.

We went out for a walk in the garden, perambulating between the house and the "love nest". All the while, Robert eyed us from his second-floor window. No idea what he was thinking of — and I didn't care, I had enough on my plate as it was. Arthur and I flirted away, exchanging platitudes non-stop. I nearly got cramp in my jaw from all the seductive smiling while I tried to convince him that kisses were my pleasure of choice: from the most innocent to the deepest ones with lots of tongue.

Then Cesar arrived with the message from Arthur's father demanding to see him straight away. Properly stimulated by our kisses talk, Arthur dug in his heels as he couldn't wait to put his new knowledge into practice. Cesar and I exchanged glances. I had to make it clear to the starving demon that upon his return, he was looking at a lovely meal in the summer house... meaning a normal human meal: some food being served. But I had to tell him that in a most natural way.

I wasn't exactly pleased with this lame excuse we'd come up with earlier. Neither was Cesar — which was a bit of a consolation, I suppose.

"Listen babe," Cesar began, then broke into a prompt bout of coughing. I lovingly slammed him on his back, earning a poke in my ribs for the trouble. Well, he did want me to behave as if we were a couple, didn't he? "Listen babe, seeing as tomorrow we're getting married and leaving on honeymoon, I've just asked Robert for... er... well, please come to the summer house after sunset. I've got a surprise for you there."

"Darling," I chirped, "I love surprises! Especially from you!"

Arthur turned red, a crimson flame lighting up in his eyes. "Tomorrow is your wedding? And you're leaving on honeymoon? Cesar, you didn't tell me! Allison — congratulations!" He grabbed my hand, shaking it, his stare fixated on me. "Why did nobody tell me?"

"Well, we didn't want to distract you from your studies," Cesar nonchalantly shoved him aside. "You've got nothing to do with it, anyway. Robert knew about it. In fact, everybody did. So Allison, what do you think? Are you coming?" he gave me a theatrical wink. "Your wish is about to come true... tonight."

"Oh well," I announced, faking enthusiasm, "I just hope that you won't leave me there and disappear on business the way you did the last time! Otherwise I'll be really angry!"

"I won't, my love, I promise," Cesar enveloped me in his arms and lifted me slightly, pretending he was giving me a kiss, while whispering in my ear, "What a lot of bullshit."

"Arthur?" I asked innocently. "I thought your father wanted you to see him?"

"I'll be back to wish you good night," he said through his teeth, sounding exactly like his father.

"So sweet of you! You don't need to bother, really. Cesar can do that," I said, stroking Arthur's cheek.

His eye twitched. "We'll see about that," he mumbled, then swung round and hurried toward the house. Looked like it worked. And if he threw his daddy a scene now, demanding he get rid of Cesar...

"I can't believe he bought into this," I said. "Our drama skills pretty much suck. The incubus must have smelled a rat!"

Cesar shook his head. "Do you remember what you saw on the night I brought you to my place? Could you describe the color of the wallpaper, the chandeliers, the braziers and the candles? I don't think you even noticed any of it until much later. When a demon is out hunting, he concentrates on his quarry alone. He doesn't notice anything else around."

"You're right," I said. "That's that taken care of, then."

Robert's outline disappeared from his office's lit window. As the night fell, Cesar and I headed for the house, listening to the angry voices coming from the open window. We exchanged glances. The incubus was impatient to hunt me. And we were impatient to hunt him.

* * *

I wish I could say I was lounging idly on the pillows heaped in the center of my love nest... as if! I just couldn't relax knowing that Cesar was there watching me. So I waited for Arthur, sitting cross-legged atop the velvet bedspread, leafing nervously through a dog-eared copy of some book — and seeing nothing, unable to concentrate. I was wearing a short dressing gown over a peach silk Wild Orchid two-piece — one size smaller than mine (I got the size wrong as those two only allowed me to shop for it on the Internet). You couldn't really see it but the bra clasp was digging into my skin — not a pleasant sensation at all. True that it pushed my breasts up so high they very nearly spilled out of their lacy cups. Cesar had approved of the outfit, thus stripping me of the chance to complain and exchange it for a bigger size.

The guest house was rather chilly — it would be, considering it was already October. The small heater that Cesar had fetched from somewhere didn't help much. I draped some covers over my shoulders, listening to the wind howling outside. The quiet coughing and shuffling behind the curtain didn't allow me to concentrate. I knew of course that Cesar had to get his incubus-fighting weapon ready but still it annoyed me no end.

I was probably too nervous to have heard the footsteps outside. Either that, or Arthur had crept up on me. Suddenly the door swung open. I sort of shrieked at the sight of a human outline in the dark doorway. Not that cloak again! Who did he think he was? But no — he wore no cloak, only a worn pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, his cheeks pink with the night cold.

"It's all right," he said. "It's only me."

"You scared me," I gasped. "I'm starting to see things."

Only then did I remember that I had to stick to my story. "Cesar isn't with you?"

He grinned. "I'm afraid he had an urgent appointment. He's a hard worker, is our Cesar. You probably know that better than anyone."

I didn't even need to fake my disgust. "He could have told me! This is our last night in town. Cesar promised me a surprise..."

"I think he meant me," Arthur said, slowly approaching the bed. His lips parted, exposing the tip of a quivering tongue. He stared directly at my lips — apparently, he was a quick learner. Men were so predictable! You could manipulate them any way you wanted. And what was an incubus if not a kiss-crazy man? If there were any differences, I was yet to discover them.

He probably expected me to lean toward him. Well, I didn't: I shrank back. He raised a surprised eyebrow and lowered his body onto the bed. I retreated some more, sensing the powerful surge of desire emanating from him. This was an explosive mixture of incredible male sex appeal and animal hunger.

"Actually, I..." I mumbled, sensing my entire body answer his call. I wasn't cold any more — on the contrary. "I'm actually with Cesar. I don't think it's a good thing..."

Admittedly I felt uneasy. You just couldn't stop him. Why oh why did Cesar never try to do anything like this?

I almost heard — or did I really? — Cesar groan from behind his curtain, Don't object!

However, Arthur wasn't annoyed. "Yeah, right. You aren't even married yet. Just think of him leaving you in this place on such a night! Don't you think he deserves to be punished?"

His gaze burned a hole in me. My face flushed as he approached me. My stomach quivered in sweet anticipation, sending warm waves of desire through my body. The only thing that didn't allow me to give in and go with the flow was the fact that I had a demon hunter staring at my back.

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I stood up in bed. The covers slid to my feet.

"You're my Aphrodite born of sea foam," he whispered, clambering toward me on his knees across the bed. He clasped my hands and pressed them together. I shuddered with desire. Not again! Where are my kisses? I'd been paid an advance, after all! I had to show some work for it and finally pull this wretched incubus out of the customer!

I didn't even notice he was busy watching me — studying me.

"You're so tense, baby," he whispered. "Just relax. I'll make you feel so good."

His fingers stroked the palms of my hands. Dammit! I collapsed to my knees. Finally our faces were at the same level, his hot breathing burning my cheeks. He backed off a little, as if sensing it. I in turn closed my eyes, clinging to him. He backed off again. He felt hotter than a normal man — so much in fact that I realized we didn't need a heater.

"I'm afraid I might burn you," he mumbled in embarrassment when I clung to him again. He buried his face in my hair. I realized he didn't exaggerate. How strange. Why would a demon worry about his victim's wellbeing? Such behavior wasn't at all typical.

"I love hot men," I whispered. Leaning back, I cupped his face and lifted it up. Our eyes met. His confused stare could equally belong to Arthur or the demon himself.

"I want you to feel good," said the incubus. I sensed him trembling inside. "I have this feeling we have something in common... I feel so close to you, Allison, I don't want any other woman! Please stay with me," a sincere plea filled his voice.

"I want you to feel good too," I said to Arthur, imprisoned and suffering deep inside the confines of his own body. He had to feel a lot of what the demon was experiencing, after all. So let him enjoy it, too.

I pulled Arthur's face close to mine. His breathing seemingly singed my face. Our lips touched, the tip of his tongue entering my mouth. I shuddered in ecstasy. His hands closed tighter on my body. Our breathing became one. I clung closer to him, my hands sliding down his burning hot body, trying to get under his T-shirt. He felt for my bra clasp. We kissed non-stop — what a bliss! I melted in his fiery breathing, groaning, biting his lower lip. I didn't give a damn about being watched any more.

The forked tip of his tongue brought me back to life. Cesar had warned me about it many times, and still it scared me. Entwined in a passionate kiss, out tongues created the point where our reality met the other world, the dwelling of demons, and allowed the incubus to touch me with his real ethereal body — and not the host's human flesh. According to Cesar, this was exactly how incubi traveled from one body to the next, and that was exactly how the hunters got to pull them out.

If the truth were known, I didn't have to do much. I couldn't, as I'd forgotten everything Cesar had told me. I simply shrank back, sensing the incubus' real touch, watching in horror its enormous bulk rise above me and the slackened Arthur. Lightning flashed through his powerful torso. A pair of enormous fiery wings rustled, unfurling behind his back, filling the immediately cramped room with unbearable heat. The demon floated up to the ceiling, his face distorted with fury. I turned my face away for a moment, so scorchingly hot was he — despite the fact that I could see the room and the furniture through him. He was pure fire.

I gasped and pulled the noose from under the pillow. On seeing it, the demon wailed in amazement. His eyes lit up like two red-hot suns, and his face... there was something brutally masculine in it, violent and commanding. My heart missed a bit, but immediately I pulled myself together. Leaning forward, I waited for him to descend a little, then threw the noose over his powerful bulging neck. Then I pulled it with all my might.

The demon roared, thrashing about. I could see the noose biting into his skin, the thin line filling with bright light as it circled his neck. And then — then the herbal noose snapped in two. Losing my balance, I collapsed onto the bed under a surge of liquid fire. This wasn't in the script! The sheets were actually smoking. He was going to burn me alive!

I could see a pulsating cord of fire reaching from the incubus' belly into Arthur's body. Did this mean some of him was still inside the boy?

The curtain swung open, letting out Cesar. He held a whip which was also woven from herbs. Stepping in front of me, he shielded me as the demon struggled desperately within the confines of the pentagram hidden under the carpet. The incense smoking in the braziers created an invisible wall that he just couldn't breach.

The herbal whip carved through the air. The incubus was trapped, and he knew it better than anyone.

Then an unexpected thing happened. The ethereal umbilical cord that still connected the incubus to the now-unconscious Arthur radiated an unbearable light. Blinking, Arthur rose and staggered toward the bed. The demon was still controlling his body! Cesar lashed at the pulsating channel, breaking the bond. Arthur collapsed on the floor, his head knocking over two of the candles and a brazier, breaching the protective cocoon. Seeing an opening in the smoke screen, the demon rushed through it, bellowing, disappearing in the sparking roar of a fiery vortex.

The overturned brazier emitted a whiff of smoke. The two tumbled candles had gone out and the few remaining sparks burned holes in the expensive rug.

"He's gone!" furious, Cesar hurled his whip onto the floor.

I hurried to help Arthur. When I tried to lift his head, he opened his eyes.

"Maya," he managed with a forced smile. I turned around. His sister stood in the doorway, her scared eyes opened wide.

"What do you think you're doing here!" Cesar snapped. "Go and call your father! He needs to get Arthur back to bed and have this place cleaned up. Get the doctor, quick!"

"I don't need a doctor," leaning heavily on my shoulder, Arthur scrambled back to his feet. "I'm fine... oh!"

He attempted a step forward but his feet wouldn't carry him. Maya rushed to help her brother. Between the two of us we kept him on his feet. Maya cast a swift glance my way. They were so alike, those two.

Fatigue got the better of me. Cesar draped a cover over my shoulders.

"You pulled him out really well," he said. "Good technique. But then.."

"He burned through my noose," I groaned.

"Exactly. Honestly, it's the first time I've seen anything like it. And the demon... that was a weird creature, wasn't it? Did you get a good look at him?"

"He was so... powerful."

"Exactly. Powerful is the right word. I've never met anything like him before. This is all very strange, I have to admit. Wherever you go, Allison, strange things seem to happen. Anyway! You can barely stand on your feet. Would you like me to carry you?"

I shuddered with the chilly night air coming through the open door. The little summer house was getting cold quickly. I was dying to cuddle up to Cesar's broad chest... and still I said no.

"I can manage. Can you pass me my sneakers over there, please? And — sorry, but I didn't quite understand. Have we got him or what?"

Cesar shook his head, doubtful. "The incubus has got away. But Arthur is free, that's the most important thing. Shame we failed to disembody the demon but I have a funny feeling he won't be back in a hurry. So strong! Did you notice he could still control Arthur even after he'd left his body?"

We walked across the garden toward the house. Wet grass was soft under my bare feet. I carried my clothes in my hands: I was dying for a shower after an encounter with a spirit of Fire. Admittedly I'd forgotten everything in his company. Could you experience something of the kind with a normal man?

Cesar left me to get to my room on my own. He wanted to fetch Arthur. As he left, he told me to meet them in Robert's office in an hour to celebrate.

"Will there be food there?" I asked. "I could do with whatever their M. Gérard has to offer."

"I'm sure Robert will arrange something. Just don't go falling asleep in the shower."

I could still smell the incense in my room. I slid into the shower and offered myself to its steaming jets, washing off the incubus' touch. Even though it had left no traces on my body, I kept feeling the burning imprints of his hands and lips all over me. Such a nice warm feeling…

By the time I dried my hair and joined them, the party was in full swing. Arthur slumped in a soft chair, pale and wrapped in a plaid, holding a beaker of mulled wine and accepting others' congratulations on his safe recovery. Maya stood behind his back — her face flushed, her eyes shining, happy her brother was finally safe.

"Doctor says not to overdo it with him," she kept repeating. Freed from the demon's clutches, Arthur looked entirely different: a nice young man, modest and sweet, just as I had imagined him to be. And still I'd just about had all I could take of him. Maybe some other time when the memory wasn't so fresh any more. The fact that Arthur cast rather interested glances my way made me nervous. He wasn't entirely impartial about what had happened: I knew from my own experience that being possessed by a demon doesn't cause any lapses of memory. Embarrassed, I turned away.

"Oh well, now you're a proper demon hunter!" Cesar arrived with a new helping of champagne for me.

"Thanks. This Maya girl cares a lot for her brother."

"What makes you think so?"

"Can't you see it? She's so happy she just won't leave him alone. She's literally beaming."

"How strange. Never noticed it before. But now that you say it," Cesar cast a look around, "Maya is normally a very subdued girl. She never shows her emotions in public. She's very much like Robert in this respect. How are you feeling, anyway? Are you tired? What are you going to do now?"

"Sleep," I said firmly. "And then we'll see."

"Okay," he chose not to contradict me. "Just don't leave before seeing Robert, okay? He might have something to offer you."

I looked at Arthur's father. Had I not known him so well, I might have thought he was busy musing about the futility of it all. Or plotting to murder everybody in the room. Or... but by then I'd already learned to read his facial expressions so I could tell the man was sincerely happy — grateful even. The latter I began to doubt though after his particularly long stare in my direction. I wasn't even sure I'd be able to wrestle my remaining fee from him now that our main bargaining chip was safe and sound albeit infirm. Should I have demanded the full fee upfront? Next time I'd have to do that, definitely. Then again, didn't Cesar say that Robert never reneges on a promise? In any case, the money had to be of no consequence for someone of his caliber.

Our get-together faded into insignificance rather soon: everyone was too tired to be sociable. Maya and the gray-haired doctor took Arthur away. Robert followed. Cesar and I decided to finish up our champagne lounging in the deep leather chairs in front of the golf course that looked remarkably like a desk. I was slightly dizzy from equal doses of wine, fatigue and success.

"You okay?" Cesar asked me.

I forced myself up. "Beddy-byes time."

"Would you like me to help you to your room?"

I could see he really didn't want to get out of his chair. Didn't he even want to talk to me about it? Didn't he want to know how I felt or if my incubus experience had changed me? Honestly, I really wanted to discuss it with someone, and Cesar was perfect for it. The demon's fiery embrace had forced the earlier memories of our intimacy out of my mind. I needed to bring them back otherwise I'd know no peace. But if Cesar wasn't interested... ah, dammit, I didn’t care. We could talk about it at a later date. I needed some rest. I could barely stand on my feet after my incubus gig.

"Nah," I waved his offer away. "I'm not that drunk. I'll find my way. Actually..." I paused. "Thank you, Cesar. For everything. I'm happy I got the chance to meet you. You're a good partner. If ever we meet again, I'll be glad to work with you."

"It's up to you," with a wink he saluted me with his empty glass, then poured himself the remaining champagne.

I walked out of the office and nearly jumped. Maya stood behind the doors, lurking in the shadows. Her heavy gray glare pinned me to the ground. Then suddenly she fell upon my neck.

"I'm so grateful to you for my brother!" she exclaimed. "You've no idea what he means to me. We've always been together and then all of a sudden he started avoiding me... I didn't know what to think! Eh," she faltered, "I hope you don't mind me asking if I could give you something to remember me by? It means a lot to me, so please don't say no! What if you and I go to Saks Fifth Avenue tomorrow and I choose something nice for you?"

"Saks? Well, if you insist," I was slightly taken aback by her urgency. "Actually, I'm the same age as you so let's cut the politeness crap, okay?"

"Fine," Maya's moist eyes stared at me again as she reached out to give me another hug. Oh-kay. A slightly unbalanced young lady.

"That's settled, then," she kept enthusing. "I'll come and get you after breakfast."

"Agreed."

"Thank you so much!" she was about to fall upon me again but reconsidered, apparently realizing it would be a little over the top. She swung round and ran up the stairs. I trailed behind, listening to her light footsteps. She was so much like Arthur. Same face, same body language. Even the expression in their eyes was identical.

I stopped dead in my tracks in the corridor. The house was dark and quiet. Everybody must have been fast asleep in their rooms. Apart from Cesar, that is — I could hear his mumbling voice in Robert's office.

I stood amid the corridor staring into space. The expression in Maya's eyes wasn't just similar — it was identical to the old Arthur's gaze, simultaneously caressing and burning you.

The gaze of a demon.

End of part two

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