Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 20

I didn't hope to get notification from Dante so rapidly. In view of the thing he'd said about the trouble of the Nyx-fascinate, I'd figured it would be some time †if by any means. Hugh's perceptions on the issue had just strengthened my developing wariness about Dante's capacities. €Å"i have your protection,† Dante let me know on the telephone. â€Å"Or at any rate as close as I can get. You need it, come pick it up.† He disengaged. I headed to Rainier Valley, discovering Dante's shop unfilled not surprisingly. â€Å"Guess you don't see a ton of business so near Christmas, huh?† â€Å"Actually,† he let me know, rising up out of the back room, â€Å"you'd be astonished at the sort of urgency the special seasons can bring out in individuals. Here, catch.† He hurled me something baseball-sized. I got it, feeling a little disillusioned when I examined it closer. It appeared as though a wicker ball, made of exceptionally dainty, dull branches. Through the holes, I could make out a couple of things inside. One resembled a stone. Another resembled a quill. The entire thing shook when I shook it. â€Å"This is it?† I inquired. â€Å"This is going to fend off a uber-ground-breaking dream substance? It would seem that a prop from The Blair Witch Project.† â€Å"It can't drive her away,† he said. â€Å"Nothing can. In any case, it may make her reconsider. It's more of†¦a repellent.† â€Å"Like citronella?† He feigned exacerbation. â€Å"Yes, as citronella. Contingent upon her vitality charge, she may blow past it. On the off chance that she's feeble enough†¦well, it may hold her back.† I inspected the ball once more. It despite everything didn't look like a lot to me. I detected no force or enchantment off of it, yet not all articles had an emanation I could detect. For perusing lifeless things, a clairvoyant human would in general be more proficient than a lesser unfading. My quietness seemed to additionally pester Dante. â€Å"Look,† he snapped. â€Å"You don't need to utilize it, however it took a fuckload of intensity for me to make it, alright? It'd be decent on the off chance that you could perhaps retain your standard mockery for an entire five minutes to thank me.† â€Å"My standard sarc †â€Å" I halted the eruption of emotion beginning to flare in me. Dante positioned close to the highest priority on my rundown of skeptical colleagues, yet I wasn't actually Pollyanna myself. I'd given him just a burden since I originally came to him for help. Also, presently, examining him, I saw he was pale and tired-looking. His eyes were ragged looking. The ball may be useless, however he'd unmistakably applied a type of exertion in making it. â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I'm sorry. Much obliged to you. Much obliged to you for this.† His eyebrows rose, and I could really observe the discretion it took for him not to deride my truthfulness. He gestured. â€Å"You're welcome.† We each sat tight for the other to talk. I don't think we realized what to manage without the mockery. â€Å"So†¦did you discover your heavenly attendant friends?† â€Å"No. I obviously need a screwing Bat Signal or something. Jerome's gone as well. Hugh †this pixie companion of mine †could get a grip of him, however it'd most likely irritate Jerome on the off chance that we weren't right pretty much all this.† I frowned, reviewing the discussion in the shop. â€Å"Anyway, Hugh's irritating me at the present time, so I don't have the foggiest idea whether I need his help.† Dante grinned. â€Å"I thought succubi should make companions wherever they went. Or then again is that a fantasy like the bat wings and fire eyes?† â€Å"He's simply being a butt face about Seth.† Dante took a gander at me hopefully. I moaned. â€Å"He thinks us dating is an exercise in futility. What's more, not due to the sex thing. He believes I will get hurt.† â€Å"Terribly benevolent of a demon. Be that as it may, at that point, thinking about your semi ethics, I'm beginning to believe it's a poorly conceived notion to accept anything about you guys.† He stepped toward me and energetically tapped my nose. â€Å"And shouldn't something be said about you? Do you believe you will get hurt?† â€Å"No. Furthermore, on the off chance that I do, that is for me to manage. Hugh shouldn't be agonizing over it. Furthermore, he shouldn't make Seth stress over it either!† â€Å"Don't get so irritated about individuals stressing over you. It implies they give it a second thought. On the off chance that enough of us were that way, there'd be significantly less agony in the world.† That was a surprising perception from Dante. â€Å"Maybe. In any case, there'd likewise be significantly less pointless stress.† He laughed and seized my hand. Flipping it over, he took a gander at the palm. â€Å"A irregular arrangement of lines for this body?† he inquired. I gestured. â€Å"Can you change it to your original?† â€Å"What, so you can understand it? I thought this was a lot of bullshit.† â€Å"Sometimes.† I hung tight for additional, yet it didn't come. His dim eyes were not kidding and insightful as they met mine. Something in them constrained me, and with incredible hesitance, I shape-moved my hands back to the ones I'd been brought into the world with. I hadn't worn my unique body since the day I'd become a succubus, and this little change felt unnatural. I loathed this structure. While my unique hands weren't enormous, they were bigger than was relative to this unimposing edge I conveyed and seemed odd and confounded. Dante held my hands in his and looked to and fro between the palms. After only a couple of moments, he grunted and dropped them both. â€Å"Surprise, surprise.† I shape-moved them back to the manner in which they had been. â€Å"What?† I inquired. â€Å"Right-handed?† â€Å"Yeah.† He highlighted the left hand. â€Å"Those lines speak to what you're brought into the world with †your inalienable qualities. The correct hand is the hand that shows how you develop and change and adjust to what you're brought into the world with. Nature and nurture.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"Yours are indistinguishable on two hands. Your heart line is high on the palm †which implies you have a serious, energetic nature. Nothing unexpected there. Be that as it may, it's messed up into a million pieces. Cut and diced.† He tapped my left hand. â€Å"You were bound for heartache.† He tapped my correct hand. â€Å"And you are going to rehash that design until the end of time. You aren't learning. You aren't changing.† â€Å"If I'm bound for it, at that point what does realizing or changing have to do with anything? Isn't it a done deal?† I didn't care for the blaming tone in his voice, as I'd accomplished something incorrectly by having these palms. â€Å"Don't start,† he said. â€Å"I'm not a logician and would prefer not to get into any pre-goal or choice discussions. Additionally, palm perusing is a lot of bullshit.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said dryly. â€Å"So I hear.† Shockingly, Dante put his arm around me and drew me close in a kind of half-embrace. â€Å"Be cautious, succubus. You have a wreck o' hazardous things throughout your life at the present time. On all fronts. I would prefer not to see you get injured either.† I remained in the grasp and laid my head on his chest. â€Å"When did you get so decent? Are you despite everything attempting to get me into bed?† â€Å"I'm continually attempting to get you into bed.† He squeezed a kiss to my temple, to my nose, and afterward to my lips. â€Å"But I sort of like you as well. Simply watch out.† I drove home from that point onward, somewhat befuddled over Dante's astonishing conduct. Contemplating him, I before long showed up in Queen Anne before I knew it. I discovered neither Vincent nor the holy messengers in my loft and chose to go to the book shop. I had today off as well, yet I realized they were occupied and could utilize the additional assistance. I required the interruption. Not long before shutting, Seth called my phone and inquired as to whether I could get him at his brother's. He and Terry had for sure headed out to see the film, yet Seth's vehicle was in reality here in Queen Anne and he required a ride now since Terry had initially gotten him. I completed what I was really going after in my office and took off. Terry and Andrea welcomed me heartily when I appeared, reminding me to come to Christmas supper †despite the fact that I'd since a long time ago revealed to them I'd be there. They generally viewed my relationship with Seth as a dubious, delicate thing (which it was) and felt constrained to do everything they could to ensure it. The young ladies were as excited as consistently to see me, and they ambushed me with questions and jabber. All aside from Kayla. She'd obviously gotten the chance to keep awake until late today around evening time. Here and there, her quiet wasn't unexpected. Beside the surprising discussion a few evenings ago, she never talked at any rate. Be that as it may, for the most part, she'd approach with different young ladies to see me. This evening, she just remained on the love seat, watching me seriously. At the point when Seth made movements to leave, I parted from the young ladies and headed toward Kayla. â€Å"Hey, you,† I stated, plunking down next to her. â€Å"How's it †â€Å" I hadn't contacted her, yet Kayla out of nowhere yanked away from me just as she'd been scorched. Sponsorship up, she mixed off the love seat and detached from the room. We heard her little strides on the steps as she raced to her room. Frightened, I took a gander at the others. â€Å"What did I do?† â€Å"No idea,† said Andrea, astounded. â€Å"She's been fine all night.† â€Å"Something more likely than not gotten into her,† said Terry. â€Å"No telling with kids. Particularly with girls.† He mussed Kendall's hair, and she cried. Everybody expeditiously overlooked Kayla and kept on making goodbyes to Seth and me. I addressed them indifferently, however. Kayla was constantly glad to see me, and last time, she'd showed an extraordinary trust and faith in me. Today around evening time, she had taken a gander at me with contemptible fear. Why? Was it a young lady disposition? Or on the other hand was there something holding tight me from another plane that I was unable to see? Not long before we left, I inquired as to whether I could go bid farewell to Kayla and offer conversing with her another shot. Upstairs, I discovered her twisted into an edge of her bed, gripping the unicorn. Her eyes extended in dread when she saw me, and I halted in the room entryway. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€