Succubus Happens

Chapter Nine

Saturday, I’m woken up early by a knock on the front door. I’m surprised that I even heard the sound. Must be my powers not that I really know anything about them yet. I roll over in bed and pull the covers over my head, trying to ignore the sound. But then someone is jumping on my bed. I let out a shriek and hear laughing.

It’s Kate.

The blanket gets pulled down and I look up at the invader. “How did you get in here?” I ask her. “My parents don’t know you.”

“You pointed me out to your mom last night and she remembered me,” Kate says.

“But why did you say you were here?”

“Oh that,” Kate smiles. “I said Carter had a surprise for you and your mom apparently really likes Carter.”

“She sure does,” I say with a smile. “What kind of surprise?”

Kate makes a face. “If I tell you, then obviously it won’t be a surprise,” she says. “Get dressed, we’re late.”

“Late for what?”

“I can’t tell you,” she says, exasperated. “Just put some clothes on.”

“What kind of clothes?”

Kate narrows her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. “Normal clothes,” she says. “Don’t make me dress you myself.”

“Kate, I’m exhausted.”

“Shouldn’t stay out so late with your boyfriend,” she winks.

I throw a pillow at her but the attempt is half-hearted. “Okay, okay,” I say, pushing the covers off of me the rest of the way. “I’m up.”

☽

The big “surprise” seems to be breakfast as Aurelia’s. I’ve been told that it’s not the only surprise and that “there’s more.” I’m nervous about this.

Carter is waiting outside when we show up. He’s standing by the front door with his arms folded across his chest.

“You could have warned me, Kate,” Carter says, scowling at her. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

I gasp, realizing what he means. “You wake, I wake.”

“Yeah, she scared the crap out of me.”

“So adorable,” Kate grins. “Well, I wanted you around for breakfast too. Two birds.”

 “Could have just gotten me out of bed like a normal person,” he grumbles. “It’s not like my room is right down the hall from yours or anything.”

“Sorry big bro,” Kate says flashing a smile at him as she moves into the house.

“Hi,” I say, giving him a kiss. “Good morning.”

“I’m happy to see you, but I’d rather be sleeping.”

“Maybe we can nap after breakfast,” I say with a grin. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“Yes, but I can’t tell you or else Kate will kill me.”

“Secrets even from you?” I ask.

“It’s a surprise,” Carter defends. “Don’t you like surprises?”

I roll my eyes. “Only with you I guess.”

“So cheesy,” Carter grins and kisses my cheek. “Okay, in we go.”

He takes my hand and leads me into the backyard again. It seems like a completely different life that I was here with him finding out from Aurelia that I was a Succubus.

Aurelia stands when I enter and she grins at me. “Hi, baby,” she says, hugging me. “How are you doing?”

“I’m great,” I tell her. “Much better than the last time.”

“I have no doubt about that,” she tells me, patting my hand. “Heard you made quite an impression at the Den last night.”

I shrug. “I just…said some things.”

“So modest,” Jake says, coming outside and draping an arm over my shoulder. “She got the Saivani’s to give her praise.”

Aurelia’s eyes widen.

I look between her and Jake. “Is that…good?”

“The Saivani clan are extremely judgmental,” Aurelia says. “Normally I’m not critical of anyone, but they’re very picky who they talk to. They generally steer clear of those who are not full-blooded.”

I swallow. “Oh.”

“But she came to you,” Carter says, reassuring me. “You’re making a difference.”

“That’s not a lot of pressure or anything.”

Carter chuckles and squeezes my hand. “You’ll be fine.”

“Okay everyone, let’s eat,” Aurelia gestures toward the table.

Jake is the first to sit down, and I’m not surprised. He’s already biting into a piece of cornbread when everyone sits down.

“Boy’s got no manners,” Aurelia chastises him. But her tone is playful. She has nothing but love for him. The love is evident in this family and it wraps around me like a cocoon.

I smile happily as I begin to eat. I reach across the table for the jam when Aurelia grabs my wrist.

“Where is it?” she asks.

I look at her, confused. “Where is what?”

“Granny,” Kate groans.

“What?” Aurelia asks, letting go of my wrist.

“You ruined the surprise.”

“Oh!” Aurelia laughs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was happening today.”

“Why did you think we came for breakfast?” Kate asks.

“Well, I had hoped you came because you wanted to spend some time with me,” Aurelia fake sniffles. “But I guess I was mistaken.”

“Granny,” Kate uses the same tone Aurelia did when she was talking about Jake.

“What am I missing?” I ask, looking at Carter. I have no idea what’s going on right now.

“I’ll be right back,” Carter sighs and heads inside. He’s gone for a few moments before returning. He sets down a small white box in front of me. “This was going to be done with a little more grace. But someone,” he glances at Aurelia, but she’s just smiling. “Ruined it.”

I look down at the box, unsure what it is.

“Well, go on,” Jake says. “Open it.”

I pick the box up and open it, revealing a white strap of fabric, just like the one Carter has. “Is this…?”

“It’s spelled to protect you from magic,” Aurelia says.

I look up at her, a feeling of gratitude overwhelming me. “Thank you,” I tell her.

“Of course,” she says, reaching over and tying it around my wrist. “I look out for my family.”

☽

After breakfast is over, Kate pulls me inside. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” I ask. “I’ve already scheduled a nap with Carter.”

She smiles. “That’s not happening.”

I pout. “Why not?” I ask. “I’m tired.”

“I’ll get you some coffee,” Kate smirks. “We have a lot to go over.”

I’m confused at first and then I remember what she said to me at the diner. “Oh!” I say, excited. “Are we doing what I think we’re doing?”

Kate winks at me and opens a door in the middle of the house. She turns on the light and I follow her down a staircase. “This leads down to the archives. It connects to other places in the town, so that certain leaders can access the information at all times. As new creatures come into the city, this gives them access to information about their species.”

“So there could be information about my species,” I say, trying not to get too excited about this.

“There should be,” Kate says. “I haven’t come across many in travels, so I don’t know how much information we have. But there’s bound to be something.”

We reach the bottom of the stairs and Kate flicks a light on. There six different tunnel entrances filling the oval shaped room. I can hardly see ten feet down the tunnel, it’s so pitched black. But I can sense that they go for miles.

“Whoa.”

“Yeah,” she says. “This is hundreds of years in the making.”

I shake my head, a little in awe, and walk further into the room. There is a large table in the center of the room with a giant book sitting on top.

“What’s that?”

Kate grins and sits down, pulling the book closer to her. “This is the census,” she says. “It lists every creature that’s ever lived in North Grove since the beginning. It’s Granny’s most prized possession.”

“Is it?” I ask, surprised.

She shakes her head. “Not really, no. But it’s one of them. It’s an expanding book, so that it never runs out of pages as long as they’re needed.”

“No way,” I mutter. “That’s…pretty damn cool.”

She opens the book halfway through. “This is the most recent one that was done,” she says, scanning through the pages. “No Succubus in town then. Huh. Hang on.”

She lays the book flat on the table and holds her hands above the pages. She closes her eyes. “Veritatem inquirendam.”

My jaw drops as the pages start flipping on their own and then suddenly stop. This is the first time I’ve experienced magic. Well, besides my own, during my kiss with Carter. My heart is pounding in my chest due to the thrill that rushes through me.

“Wow,” I whisper.

Kate opens her eyes and grins at me before looking down at the book. “Okay…” she looks up and scans the room before getting to her feet. “Let me go grab the file.”

“Sure.”

I’m still in shock, I don’t think I could move if I wanted to. That may have been the coolest thing ever. I take a breath and sit back in my chair as I wait for Kate to return.”

“Here’s the first thing we’ll cover today,” Kate says. “This is the only census information we have on the Succubus.”

She hands me a folder that feels incredibly light. “This is it?”

Kate gives me a sympathetic look. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Okay,” I open the folder and my stomach falls. There is just one sheet of paper inside with a list dating back to 1457. The most recent census date is 1707. “Odd dates.”

“Every fifty years,” Kate says. “North Grove was founded in 1407. Aurelia had the idea to protect everyone…or at least the ones that wanted to be protected. It’s…” she pauses and looks at me. “Are you okay?”

She must have seen the look on my face. 1407. “I’m…fine,” I say slowly. “And, uh, how long after that were you born?” She’s younger than Carter so maybe I can get some semblance of an answer of his age from hers.

Kate smiles. “I actually have human parents,” she says. “Or had. They passed away about thirty years ago. Aurelia kind of adopted me. The boys found me on one of their monthly excursions. There had been a car crash and I sort of teleported out of the car. They found me on the side of the road watching the cars burn.”

“You can teleport?” It’s the first question out of my mouth. Of course, there are other things I want to find out, but supernatural powers outweigh everything else. I set the folder down on the table.

“Yeah. Watch.” Kate grins and then is suddenly gone. A tap on my shoulder causes me to jump and I let out a little scream. I turn and see Kate laughing at me. “Sorry. It was easier to show you.”

Carter comes running down the stairs and into the room.  “Everything okay?” he asks, looking between me and his sister. I love how he worries.

“We’re fine, big brother,” Kate says, rolling her eyes. “Just showing your girlfriend some magic tricks.”

“Don’t give her a heart attack, Kate, please,” Carter says. Then he looks at me. “You good?”

“We’re fine,” I tell him with a smile.

He nods and seeming satisfied with my answer, runs back upstairs. I turn back to look at Kate.

“Can you teleport anywhere?” I ask her.

“I can only teleport places that I’ve been,” she says. “But I can astral project.”

“Which is what?”

“My soul leaves my body,” she explains. “When I meet someone, my soul can travel to that person no matter if I haven’t seen the place before. It’s a connection to the soul, not the body.”

I shake my head, a little overwhelmed. “That’s…weird.”

Kate grins and winks at me. “I’m gifted like that.”

“So I’m confused. How did you do that just now with the barrier?”

Kate holds up her wrist, showing me a blue bracelet similar to the ones Carter and Jake have. And I guess like I have too. “I’m allowed my powers in North Grove because I don’t live here anymore. It’s under wraps though. So mum’s the word. My bracelet allows me a protection from people who are hunting our kind outside of town.”

“Carter did mention that people don’t generally leave North Grove,” I say. “So why did you?”

“I was wondering when you’d ask me that,” she says.

“Didn’t you foresee this conversation?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I wasn’t really trying to cheat our friendship. I want to experience our conversations for the first time.”

“Oh,” I say. “That’s sweet.”

“You seem surprised,” Kate says. “Has Carter not talked about me?”

I hesitate. This could get Carter into trouble with his sister, but then I decide the truth is the best way to go. “No,” I say. “Well, he mentioned you once after he took me to the cabin. After I hit Alex. He also said you were in college.”

“That’s the story,” she says. “For the humans, anyway.”

“So what are you really doing?”

“I’m the North Grove liaison, so to speak,” she says, sounding pleased. “I go searching for people who are like us and meet with them to see if they’re satisfied in their lives. North Grove isn’t the only protected city.”

This surprises me. “It’s not?”

“No…I guess you could say that Aurelia’s idea was kind of franchised.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” she smiles. “There’s a lot of us out there and they can’t all live here…we wouldn’t be a small town anymore.”

 “How many are there?”

“Hundreds,” Kate says with a dramatic sigh. “And there are probably going to be more popping up eventually.”

“Plotting a world takeover?”

Kate wrinkles her nose. “Something like that.”

I can’t help but smile. It’s just so freaking cool.

“But, yeah, that’s why I leave,” she says. “I couldn’t do high school over and over again.”

“It does kind of amaze me how they do it,” I say. “I’m just going through it for the first time and I’m struggling.”

Kate laughs. “We’ll probably find something for you to do.”

“What if I can’t stay stuck?” I ask her. “What if I can’t live here forever?”

“Can’t or won’t?”

I sigh. “Won’t. I don’t think I could do it. I just…I need excitement. And small town life…”

“Doesn’t do it for you.”

“Yeah.”

“You could always come with me,” she says. “Be an ambassador for Aurelia.”

I look toward the stairs. “But what about Carter?”

She smiles at me. “Oh I’m pretty sure that boy would follow you to the moon.”

I laugh. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Kate says. “Psychic, remember?”

“Right,” I say, blushing “Should we continue?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She gestures to the folder and I pick it up, opening it again.

“I’m scared to find this stuff out,” I say.

“What can it hurt?” she asks me. “What can it do other than tell you a little bit more about yourself?”

I nod. “Okay fine.”

We are simple creatures. We do not travel in packs and we do not stay in one place for long. Travelling is in our blood. The Succubus feeds off of s****l energy; the flow of pheromones that exude from a person during heightened moments of intimacy. We consume the energy and it heals us, feeds us, gives us power. We can survive long periods of time without consumption, but we become weak and susceptible to manipulation from outside forces. The Succubus is not a force to be reckoned with.

“Is this the census or is this a warning?” I ask, looking up at Kate.

“I think it may have been both,” she shrugs. “Does it help at all?”

I shake my head. “Not really,” I say. “But it’s better than nothing.”

“That’s a very positive state of mind,” she says.

“I know,” I grin.

“Want to learn some more?” she asks.

“Of course.”

“Be forewarned,” she says. “We have a lot more than just a paragraph on every other creature that’s out there.”

I nod. “I hope so. I need to learn as much as possible,” I tell her. I need to know how to protect myself against Alex and Natalie.

“Any requests?”

“Geminis?”

“No.”

Carter’s voice comes from the bottom of the stairs. I turn to look at him, surprised. “What do you mean, no?”

“You don’t need to worry about them,” he says. “Natalie is not worth your time or energy.”

“If she’s dangerous, she is worth my energy, Carter,” I say. “I have to protect myself.”

Carter sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Fine,” he says. “I’ll do it.”

“You sure?” Kate asks.

“Yeah. I wanted to help anyway,” he says.

“You don’t have to,” I tell him. “You can come back to talk to me about werewolves.”

He shakes his hand. “I want to do this.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be upstairs,” Kate says, flashing a smile at me before teleporting out of the room.

“I don’t think I’ll get used to that.”

“She normally walks out of a room,” Carter says. “But I’m pretty sure she’s just showing off for you. She doesn’t get to meet a lot of new supernatural creatures. Mostly everyone she talks to have been around for a while. You’re fresh meat.”

“I’m weirdly okay with that,” I say.

“Her showing off or you being fresh meat?”

I roll my eyes. “Her showing off. It’s incredibly fascinating. Magic is awesome.”

“It comes at a cost,” Carter says.

“As with everything else in life,” I say. “Nothing worth having is easy.”

Carter grins at me. “That was profound.”

I shrug. “I’m wise beyond my years.”

He laughs and the walks over to the a bookshelf. I watch as he runs his fingers across the files stacked in place before pulling a relatively small file from the bunch. It’s bigger than the Succubus file, but smaller than the rest. Carter tosses the folder on the table for sitting with me again.

“Why is it so small?”

“The Geminis are a private species,” he tells me. “They don’t like to be around people and tend to stick to themselves.”

“Then…”

“We don’t know why Natalie is here,” he answers my unfinished question. “She showed up three hundred years ago, on her own, looking for a place to live. She’s participated in every semi centennial census, but as far as providing information regarding her species, she hasn’t complied. She provides the same statement she’s given since she’s shown up.”

“Which is what?”

Carter opens the folder. “‘Geminis are an ancient species that provide transport to the dead in their journey to the afterlife,’” he closes the folder with a sigh and sets it down on the table.

“That can’t be all she says,” I say. “Every time?”

“Verbatim,” Carter answers. “Luckily though, Kate has run into quite a few Geminis over the years, so she has the information we need for documentation.”

“Don’t keep me waiting. What’d she find out?”

“The part Natalie told us is true,” he says. “But that’s only one part of the bigger picture. Geminis are from the days of old and have the ability to make their enemies doubt. They have the power to make others believe anything that they want. They’ve been used by ancient civilizations in wars from long ago.

“So I was right when I said mythology.”

 He nods. “Some of them can be trusted, but their minds can change in a matter of seconds. It’s not wise to cross them.”

“Then what do we do about Natalie?” I ask. “If it’s not wise, shouldn’t we try to recruit her?”

“She’s in love with Alex. At a level just under obsession,” Carter tells me. “There’s no recruiting her.  She’s not dangerous in town lines. She can’t use her powers and she won’t hurt you.”

He’s getting worked up about this. I place my hand on his. “Take a breath, please,” I say. “Your stress level is a little too high for my comfort.”

Carter stares at me, but after a moment he closes his eyes and takes a breath. I use the advantage to lean forward and press my lips to his. “I’m okay,” I say.

He opens his eyes to meet mine. “What next?”

“Wolves.”

A wide grin spreads across his features. “Doing some research, huh?”

“Well, if I’m going to be dating a wolf, I would like to know a little bit about you.”

“Only a little?”

“Maybe a lot.”

“Right,” Carter says. “So I’m not really sure why Jake told you nothing was true. Our mortal enemies are vampires though I’m not sure why. Also the turning into a wolf at the full moon is true, too.”

“Is it painful?”

“Turning?”

“Yeah.”

Carter shrugs. “It’s not pleasant,” He says. “It’s like every bone is breaking and put back together to get me into the shape of a wolf.”

I take in a breath. “That doesn’t sound fun at all.”

“No, it’s not. It was really hard in the beginning, but now it’s something that I’ve just gotten used to.”

“What else?’

“We’re only able to turn into a wolf on the full-moon, which gives us relief from the pain. Though I’m sure there are some of us who would be glad to be able to turn into a wolf at all times. They like the power.”

“Some people like Alex.”

Carter makes a face and I raise my hands in defense.

“Hey you’re the one who went there first,” I tell him.

He hangs his head. “Yeah, that’s fair,” he says. Then he shakes his head. “Nope. Next question.”

“How long does it take to transform?”

“Once the moon is at its apex, it maybe takes twenty minutes? It’s different for each person, but twenty is the minimum.

I nod. “Did you end up losing your excursion because of me?”

Carter grins. “No, I didn’t, surprisingly. But unsurprisingly, Alex did for his stunt outside of The Den.”

“Too right.”

“But I’m staying too.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“Why are you staying? You need to run.”

“I don’t.”

“Yes,” I say. “You said you need to run. Otherwise you’ll die.”

“What?”

“You said that if you don’t run you’ll die.”

“No,” he says, shaking his head. “Not me. Not wolves. But Wendigoes need to run. It’s in their genetic makeup. If I run, I just feel free.”

“Free because you wouldn’t be locked down at the cabin?”

“Yeah.”

“But is that safe for you? Alex will need to be there too, won’t he?”

Carter runs a hand through his hair. “You’re very perceptive.”

“I’m learning about a whole new world, Carter,” I say. “I can’t let anything slip by me.”

“Yes, you’re very studious aren’t you?” he says with a smile on his lips. “Jake mentioned something about you being excited about reading Romeo and Juliet.”

“Excuse you, what’s wrong with that?” I ask, slightly offended. “It is a work of art.”

“It’s a tragedy.”

“It’s a love story,” I respond.

“It’s not realistic, though,” he says. “They fell for each other so quickly.”

I sit back in my chair and look at him. “And you can’t relate to that feeling?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

Carter narrows his eyes at me. “You’re poking fun at me, aren’t you?”

I shrug. “I’m merely stating a fact about one of the best plays that have ever been written. You’re the one who can’t see beauty when it’s right in front of you.”

Carter wrinkles his nose as he takes my hand and brings it to his lips. “Oh I can see beauty,” he says. “I was just never really a fan of Shakespeare. He was kind of an asshole.”

I stare at him. I think I’ve stopped breathing. “Did you…know him?’

Carter’s smile freezes in place. “Uh…”

“I’m serious, Carter,” I say. “Did you know William Shakespeare?”

Carter shrugs. “Maybe?”

I groan. “Carter, don’t tell me he’s an asshole!” I say. “He’s my favorite playwright. Do you have anything of his?”

“You’re not concerned about my age?”

“Carter this is more serious than how old you are!” I exclaim, shoving him playfully. “This is Shakespeare we’re talking about.”

Carter laughs. “Okay,” He says. “You know what, Daphne Martin, you amaze me more and more every day.”

“I know I do,” I say, laughing. I bounce up and down in my seat. “So? Do you?’

Carter grins. “This is really exciting for me to experience you like this, you realize that, right?”

I nod. “Don’t even bring this up to my dad. He doesn’t understand my obsession. But it’s real.”

“I can see that.” Carter pushes his chair back and heads to a bookcase on the opposite wall than the census information. He’s only there for a moment before he returns.

“So this is really old,” he tells me.

“I would assume so,” I say. I’m trying to keep the moment light, but really I’m freaking out.

He sets a journal down on the table in front of me. I stare the worn leather covering and my breath catches in my throat. I’m scared to open it. I don’t know if it’s a play or unpublished sonnets or what. But if it truly is Shakespeare, I don’t care what it is.

“How did you get this?” I pull my gaze away from the journal and look at Carter.

“We were doing things that we should not have been doing,” Carter says. “And I won it off of him in a bet.”

“What were you doing?” I ask, raising a brow.

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“Probably.”

“It had to do with a woman.”

“Was it Anne?”

“What?”

“Was it Anne Hathaway?”

. “Anne was a muse to Will. The love of his life. She’s still around to this day,” he says.

His words click in my mind. “Are you telling me that William Shakespeare’s wife is teaching English in North Grove?”

Carter grins. “Yeah,” he says. “Not surprising that she’s teaching his work. She inspired so much of it she’ll never let any of us live it down.”

I blink a few times before taking a breath. “I’m officially weirded out right now,” I say.

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you know about her. But unfortunately, no,” he says. “The bet didn’t have to do with Anne. Will was not a faithful man.”

“And you encouraged him.”

“You’re making me sound like a bad guy,” Carter says. “It was a different time. And I was…”

“A different guy.”

“Well, it was the beginning of the seventeenth century, Daphne,” Carter says with a smile.

“Fair point,” I say. “Continue.”

“Well…Will was working on a new play. He had found this poem by Arthur Brooke about the two lovers in fair Verona. And these pages…” Carter smiles and taps the cover of the journal. “Are his notes.”

My jaw drops. “These are Shakespeare’s notes on Romeo and Juliet?” I ask. “Are you serious?”

“Take a look yourself if you don’t believe me.”

So I do. Written in William Shakespeare’s messy scrawl are notes about Romeo and Juliet and the poem by Arthur Brooke and I can’t freaking believe it. “Oh my god.”

“It’s yours,” he says.

I look up in surprise, tears blurring my vision. I quickly wipe them away before throwing my arms around his neck and holding him tightly.

“You are officially my favorite person ever.”

“Ever?” he asks. “You sure Will hasn’t beat me on that yet?”

“It’s so weird that you call him Will.”

“That’s what he wanted to be called,” he says. “It’s strange though, after knowing him that people study his work so thoroughly. He told me that even though I was going to outlive him, his was going to be right there with me. He wanted to exist forever.”

“And he will.”

“So you like it then?” He asks, his tone teasing.

“I love it,” I tell him, my smile wide. “And you.”

His head jerks in my direction. “What?”

I bite my lower lip. “I love you,” I say. “I know you said that it’s unrealistic to fall in love so quickly. But I did. I love you.”

He shakes his head, grinning. “I didn’t mean us. They have nothing to do with us,” he says with a wave of his hand. “They’re a fictional couple from the sixteenth century.”

“So what do you mean then?”

“I mean that I love you, too,” Carter says.

A grin spreads across my face. “You do?”

“Yeah, I do,” he says. “Romeo’s got nothing on me