side against you. He’ll go back to her. Even
now she calls for him."
Mr. Smith’s eyes bugged out. "Incubus? But... that’s
just a legend!"
Sarahi turned in Lucien’s arms, fully facing the furious elder.
"If that’s so, then why has Mother been trying to create one for
millennia? She’s not stupid. She knows the prophecies as well as you
do... at least the ones she has access to. You have volumes here she’s
never seen. The incubus exists. He lives right now. Where is he? Where is my
son?"
Mr. Smith gulped. "He’s been sent with several other
clerics in training to investigate a succubus in Billings."
Sarahi blinked.
"Now listen, ma’am, I think we need to talk."
"Yes, I agree," Sarahi said coldly. "I sent my son
away so he would be safe. If I hear he’s been abused in some
way..."
"He has never been harmed, I swear," Mr. Smith replied.
Sarahi nodded. "Very well then," she said, though Lucien
could feel from the tension in her arms she wasn’t fully convinced.
"We do need to talk."
"We certainly do," the elder agreed. "In fact,
let’s gather the council, the other nephilim, the clerical generals. I
think this is information everyone needs."
"I agree," Sarahi said. "That will give me a few
minutes to gather my materials."
Half an hour later, the elder conference room was filled to capacity.
The massive table seated two dozen, and the seven elders sat along one side,
all in a row, with Mr. Smith at the corner, the seat of power, as it were.
Across from them, the generals of the nephilim; Lucien, Jonas, and five others
Sarahi did not know, though she’d seen them all at one time or another.
The rest of the seats were taken by the heads of the Order of Clerics; stoic
men none of whom Sarahi knew by name. Younger clerics, teachers and
elders-in-training crowded around the table, standing or leaning on the wall.
Sarahi had been given a spot beside Mr. Smith, across from Lucien. At the last
moment, a silent figure dressed in white slipped into one corner.
All eyes turned toward her. She suddenly regretted volunteering to lead
this conversation. After three millennia of hiding, she did not like being in
the spotlight. And it really was a spotlight, the overhead bulb glaring down on
her. She gulped and met Lucien’s eyes. He nodded.
"I wanted to start by thanking everyone who has made me feel so
welcome here. It can’t have been easy, having a succubus in your
midst." Gasps sounded all around the room. She suppressed a grin. Now she
really had their attention. "The reason I’m here is that I’ve
been marked for death by my mother. I don’t know if you are aware, but
all succubae are the daughters of Lilith, in a literal sense. There is so much
information I need to share with you, and I’m not used to public
speaking, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I... ramble, and don’t
present my thoughts in the most organized way..."
"The demoness is your mother?" a heavyset elder demanded.
"The succubae are your sisters? Why are you turning against them? Have
you no loyalty to your family?"
She turned to the man, meeting his eyes squarely. He flinched.
"You should be glad I have chosen your side," she told him
coldly. "I choose to believe that DNA does not determine destiny. I have
made a choice. Don’t make me regret it." She let her nails grow out
from delicate shell colored half-moons into three inch, razor-sharp talons.
He nodded once, cowed.
"Now, does anyone else want to waste time on silly questions, or
can we move forward?"
No one spoke.
She opened the book in front of her, an ancient text bound in
musty-smelling leather. She sneezed. "All right. The information I wanted
to present to you has to do with the incubus."
Several people snorted, and one man standing near the door turned
ostentatiously and walked out.
"It’s a fact, not a legend," she said. "He
already lives."
That drew their attention back to her.
"What proof do you have of that?" Mr. Smith demanded.
"You saying it doesn’t
now she calls for him."
Mr. Smith’s eyes bugged out. "Incubus? But... that’s
just a legend!"
Sarahi turned in Lucien’s arms, fully facing the furious elder.
"If that’s so, then why has Mother been trying to create one for
millennia? She’s not stupid. She knows the prophecies as well as you
do... at least the ones she has access to. You have volumes here she’s
never seen. The incubus exists. He lives right now. Where is he? Where is my
son?"
Mr. Smith gulped. "He’s been sent with several other
clerics in training to investigate a succubus in Billings."
Sarahi blinked.
"Now listen, ma’am, I think we need to talk."
"Yes, I agree," Sarahi said coldly. "I sent my son
away so he would be safe. If I hear he’s been abused in some
way..."
"He has never been harmed, I swear," Mr. Smith replied.
Sarahi nodded. "Very well then," she said, though Lucien
could feel from the tension in her arms she wasn’t fully convinced.
"We do need to talk."
"We certainly do," the elder agreed. "In fact,
let’s gather the council, the other nephilim, the clerical generals. I
think this is information everyone needs."
"I agree," Sarahi said. "That will give me a few
minutes to gather my materials."
Half an hour later, the elder conference room was filled to capacity.
The massive table seated two dozen, and the seven elders sat along one side,
all in a row, with Mr. Smith at the corner, the seat of power, as it were.
Across from them, the generals of the nephilim; Lucien, Jonas, and five others
Sarahi did not know, though she’d seen them all at one time or another.
The rest of the seats were taken by the heads of the Order of Clerics; stoic
men none of whom Sarahi knew by name. Younger clerics, teachers and
elders-in-training crowded around the table, standing or leaning on the wall.
Sarahi had been given a spot beside Mr. Smith, across from Lucien. At the last
moment, a silent figure dressed in white slipped into one corner.
All eyes turned toward her. She suddenly regretted volunteering to lead
this conversation. After three millennia of hiding, she did not like being in
the spotlight. And it really was a spotlight, the overhead bulb glaring down on
her. She gulped and met Lucien’s eyes. He nodded.
"I wanted to start by thanking everyone who has made me feel so
welcome here. It can’t have been easy, having a succubus in your
midst." Gasps sounded all around the room. She suppressed a grin. Now she
really had their attention. "The reason I’m here is that I’ve
been marked for death by my mother. I don’t know if you are aware, but
all succubae are the daughters of Lilith, in a literal sense. There is so much
information I need to share with you, and I’m not used to public
speaking, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I... ramble, and don’t
present my thoughts in the most organized way..."
"The demoness is your mother?" a heavyset elder demanded.
"The succubae are your sisters? Why are you turning against them? Have
you no loyalty to your family?"
She turned to the man, meeting his eyes squarely. He flinched.
"You should be glad I have chosen your side," she told him
coldly. "I choose to believe that DNA does not determine destiny. I have
made a choice. Don’t make me regret it." She let her nails grow out
from delicate shell colored half-moons into three inch, razor-sharp talons.
He nodded once, cowed.
"Now, does anyone else want to waste time on silly questions, or
can we move forward?"
No one spoke.
She opened the book in front of her, an ancient text bound in
musty-smelling leather. She sneezed. "All right. The information I wanted
to present to you has to do with the incubus."
Several people snorted, and one man standing near the door turned
ostentatiously and walked out.
"It’s a fact, not a legend," she said. "He
already lives."
That drew their attention back to her.
"What proof do you have of that?" Mr. Smith demanded.
"You saying it doesn’t
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