Succubus Tear (Triune promise) (45 page)

“Cain.”

“Yes?”

“God is above all, but for this moment, there is
nothing
but you and I. There is no bed, and there is no motel. There is no Taint, and no struggle for our lives and freedom. There is nothing but this small universe I make for you.”

She grasped Cain’s hair and squeezed her fists with incredible strength, and
pulled
.

“So
please
,” she moaned painfully, letting go of his hair. “
Please!
” she begged as violet tears sparkled down her face and
burned
upon Cain’s chest. “Accept my works with a heart full of joy! Accept my affection with your own.”

Cain was dumbfounded; he could feel the beginnings of a complete mood killer, and he was sure Al’bah felt it, too.

I’ve got to say something! What words could possibly express…

Inspiration struck, saving the moment completely and allowing a strange lust and affection to take over.

Perhaps it was the beginning of love?

Perhaps.

Cain sighed and kissed Al’bah as he whispered into her ear, “Warm.”

Al’bah gasped and clutched Cain all the tighter.

A strange sense of existence gripped Cain’s perception as he felt Al’bah’s hands satisfy her lustful hungers upon, within, and through his body. There was nowhere, inside or out, that she could not touch.

Cain reached out and placed his hand upon the edge of the universe, even as he surrounded it as much as it surrounded him.

Separation of Pasts

“My father and my brothers would have killed me, if it weren’t for Cain.”

—Charlie Tsukada

“Another glass of white Zinfandel?”

Stella looked up at the first-class flight attendant. “Oh. Yes, please,” she said, offering up her empty glass.

“Do you want me to get anything for him?” the attendant asked, gesturing to Charlie, who was asleep.

Stella shook her head, still in awe over what was likely to be the first of many secrets Charlie had revealed to her.

Apparently Charlie was from a rich family, and he was extremely well off. She found that out when she noticed her ticket indicated her being seated on seat 1-AA. He tried to downplay that, but Stella would have none of it, stating if Charlie couldn’t be honest to her, there was no point in remaining together.

A son of a Japanese real-estate tycoon, slumming around with an American who saved his life, deciding to work construction just to have “something to do.”

Yeah, after everything that happened to her in this crazy week, she could believe it.

In the space of a week she had been promoted, placed in charge of her own investigation, been accused of being an accessory to multiple murders, met a Succubus, lost her badge, and forced—no, pressured—to leave the country, despite having the means to fight for everything she lost.

How in the world did all this happen?

Even now, she sometimes still felt a harsh panic rise in her chest that would make her nearly call everything off and crawl under something until the world made sense. Sometimes she would bless and curse Cain and Al’bah with the same breath.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but notice your ring. Congratulations,” the flight attendant said with a fresh glass.

Stella looked at the diamond ring accented by genuine sapphire. “Oh. I, um…thank you, Stephanie,” Stella said, noticing her name badge.

“So, when is the big date?”

Stella felt her face burn. As crazy as the week had been thus far… “Um, tomorrow, in Paris.”
 It wasn’t even over yet…

The flight attendant blushed and smiled. “Good luck to the two of you. Would you like some complimentary cake and champagne?”

“Um, sure. Thank you.”

“Attention, passengers, we are now cruising at forty thousand feet, and it looks like the rest of the flight into Paris will be smooth with little turbulence. Our flight crew will soon be coming around to take your food and drink orders, which are…”

Charlie shifted, waking up from the overhead announcement, and looked to Stella.

“Careful, if you let it out of your sight, it will disappear,” he said, grinning, making Stella realize she still had her hand out in a display gesture.

Stella shook her head and took Charlie’s hands.

“This is crazy, Charlie. This has never happened to me before. And you—are you sure that this is what you want? Are you sure you’re just not trying to make amends for your past?”

Now that was something they spoke long and deeply about. Stella did not like the idea of being anyone’s replacement. Though, she had to admit, Charlie did not try to deny her resemblance to Holly affected his infatuation. Even more to his credit, he insisted, even against her initial resistance, to know everything about her and her past.

Charlie’s eyes bored deep into her own. “Stella, I couldn’t be happier. I think that no one could ever let go of the past. Anyone who says otherwise speaks in foolishness. I think that if we can acknowledge the past for what it was, live with it, promise to carry it with us, I think that would be enough, and the past would let
us
go.”

Stella laughed softly. “Isn’t that the same thing?”
 

Charlie shrugged. “Perhaps, but maybe trying to move on from the past is wrong. Everything we are is a result of what happens. I wouldn’t be who I am now if it weren’t for—”

Charlie stopped and swallowed hard as his eyes blinked a little faster. Stella knew why, and pretended to be interested in her ring again to give him a moment.
Seems like everyone gained a little and lost a lot this week.

“Stella,” Charlie said, his voice quite different than before. “I feel blessed now that you are part of my life. So many burdens don’t feel so heavy anymore. But, I don’t even know for sure why. Is it because of you? Or because I left behind everything I knew, even the man I owe my life to? But…you’re here…with me. And everything else in my past isn’t. And I believe with all my heart that it will be enough. That is, if it is enough for you, too.”

“Amazing,” Stella breathed.

“What?”

“Nothing. Charlie?”

“Yes?”

Stella looked at her ring again. “Do you really think that we have a chance? I mean, we don’t even know each other.”

Charlie shrugged. “With the unfortunate reality of the divorce rate being at sixty percent, we have as much a chance as those who
do
know each other.”

“There’s a ‘but’ in there.”

“Yes. But I think that to give ourselves the best chance, we need to be absolutely honest.”

“Huh?”

“Well just like when you called me out on being rich. I never put money as one of my better qualities. Shoot, it’s been over thirteen years since I even touched money I had but didn’t make while I worked with Cain. I wanted to downplay it, but you weren’t going to let me be less than honest with you. So, whenever you do something, anything that I don’t like, I am gonna call you out on it. There will be no keeping quiet for the sake of harmony. I want to know you, Stella. Do the same for me, and I think that we’ll do all right. Okay?”

“Sure. Charlie?”

“Yeah?”

“You snore and drool in your sleep.”

They both laughed, but more than that, they rejoiced. Truly they were two souls who escaped out of…

“Out of what?” some might ask.

But there was no clear answer. Charlie and Stella were free, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

“There is he, the lucky groom. Congratulations,” Stephanie said, handing over the champagne, cake, and two new glasses.

“Hey thanks, Stephanie. Say, didja know that Stephanie means ‘crown’?”

Stella smiled internally at how different Charlie’s lines felt, now that it was bereft of the irresistible charm he only had for her now.

“I did. Names are a hobby of mine. Did you know that Charlie means ‘free man,’ and Stella means ‘star’?” She rubbed her chin with her finger. “And together, your names come together to mean, ‘star frees man,’ or ‘man frees star.’ Or, more poetically, heavenly angel, freed by man.”

***

Cain yawned and opened his eyes. The sunlight filtered in the room and through Al’bah’s wings, making the atmosphere inside her cocoon a vibrant pink. Cain noticed his body was completely covered up to his neck by a mass of pink flesh growing from Al’bah’s wing. He stretched his arms and legs, noticing how the flesh opened instantly and left his body with no hesitation.

The movement also awakened Al’bah, who was asleep next to him. She stretched, speaking and yawning.

“Mah—morning already?” She sighed, maneuvering on top of him again.

“Yep. Good heavens, you still haven’t had enough?” he said, bewildered as she already started to smother his face with her kiss.

“I could never have enough of your presence, Cain.” Al’bah sighed as she tightened her grip around his body. “But I am hungry, you are hungry. And we must face the day.”

With a beautiful flourish, Al’bah opened the cocoon and fresh air rushed in their once intimate space and washed over their bodies, stealing breath with a cold, rushing gasp. The wing that made up the cocoon joined the other that was holding onto the ceiling as Al’bah stared lovingly to Cain.

“You are so beautiful,” she said with a large smile.

“So are you,” Cain said with a smile of his own. “You are the most beautiful woman I could ever imagine.”

“Do you mean that? Do you mean it truly?” Al’bah said with a disbelieving face.

“Yes. Why on Earth do you doubt that?”

“I can only hope you never find out why.”

“What does that mean?”

Al’bah’s wings let go of the ceiling and beat the air, allowing a slow descent upon the bed.

“I may be beautiful to you now. But you do not see with spiritual sight. You and your race are far above me! It is astounding to think that you would pick me.”

Cain didn’t move but held onto Al’bah’s arms to prevent her from getting up. “So what do we look like to those with spiritual eyes?”

Al’bah’s wings folded and settled upon her back. She seemed ashamed but spoke quietly. “It would be like seeing a human in love with a beetle.”

“That’s absurd.” Cain scoffed.

Al’bah shook her head. “Cain, you are made in the image of the Creator! You are above Angels! Angels are above me. How—” She stopped and freed her hands to wipe her eyes. “How can you show your affection to me? I am so unworthy.”

Cain shrugged. “Dunno, but I’d imagine God is above everything and, if I am not mistaken, loves all creation.”

Al’bah gasped and stared at Cain for several moments. Slowly she wiped her eyes and held him close.

“You
are
beautiful,” she whispered.

***

“Blessed be the day, let not my failings and frustrations impede the plan you have laid before me. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.”

“Prayer ain’t gonna help ya, missy. Yer car has a shot transmission, and it will cost twenty-eight hundred ta fix.”

Cynthia Ronalds sighed; she thought she was being quiet enough for the grinning, gap-toothed mechanic to not hear.

“How much will you buy it for?” she said quietly as she turned around to face him again.

“Don’t need it. I got der number fer the scrapper. He might give yew three hundred fer it.”

“Thanks. I need a moment, okay?”

The mechanic shrugged. “I don’t want it in my shop after today, unless it’s getting worked on.”

Cynthia nodded and rounded the corner of the shop. Her thoughts turned to the various figures of the Bible she clutched in her arms that faced hardship. She wondered why the faithful were the ones who always seemed to—

She froze in her tracks.

“Cain?”