Page 9 of Wicked Succubus
“It’s always one thing or another,” he says, cutting me off. “I told you that you could go to the human world on one condition. I’ve got a few potentials I’d like you to meet.” I open my mouth to say no, but he continues before I can get a word out. “This is not a request. You’ll be coming to dinner in seven days. If not, I’ll rescind your time in the human world.”
“Of course,” I say through gritted teeth. My father hangs up the phone without uttering a goodbye.
I spend hours pacing around my office, trying to come up with a plan to get out of this situation. With every step, I feel torn between defying my father’s wishes and fulfilling my duty as a member of the royal family.
As I continue to pace, my phone buzzes. I look down to see Agent Rodriguez’s name pop up. “We have another murder.”
Forgetting the conversation with my father, I get up as soon as those words leave her mouth. “Send me the address, and we’ll be there soon.”
I hang up the phone with a sigh of relief. Keeping Zelyah locked up here only further proves her innocence. I shouldn’t be relieved that there was another murder and that the killer is still on the loose, but knowing it wasn’t Zelyah means my attraction to her is far less complicated than it was a few hours ago.
I walk to her room, pausing in front of the closed door, biting my lip. It’s almost two in the morning. Zelyah is probably already asleep, and I’m debating whether to knock or just open it. I surprise myself with the soft thump of my fist connecting with the door. I gave her a hard time during dinner, and knowing that I was wrong about her involvement with these ritualistic murders leaves me with a lot of guilt. The least I can do now is offer her a sense of privacy as an apology. I bang a few more times, but nothing. I check my home security feed from my phone, but every camera has been disabled.
Shit.
I twist the knob, finding it locked. No surprise there. I push hard, throwing my shoulder into the wood until the creaking sound of the door breaking vibrates through the room. I immediately walk to the bed and lift the covers, confirming my suspicion. She’s long gone.
Chapter 6
Zelyah
Ihave to feed tonight, which means I have to escape his clutches and go on a hunt to find someone to kill. That’s what was repeating in my head the whole time at dinner, and the moment he finished eating, and his office door closed, I set to work.
I’ve spent days wandering around the agent’s home, learning his routine and casually counting cameras and tracing down the system’s control panel. Disabling the agent’s home security system will be easy. I head to the garage and grab a small screwdriver, a pair of wire cutters, and a roll of electrical tape. Who knew Mr. Sourpatch had a workbench? I wouldn’t have thought him to be the handy type.
The main control box is in the basement next to a large master screen displaying the view from each camera. I’ve spent many days watching the footage flip between cameras on a timed round. I make my way downstairs, moving silently through the house, careful to avoid any creaky floorboards. If Agent Cooper were to open his security footage from his office to check on me, he’d see me creeping to the basement with wire cutters, and my night would be over. That means I have to work fast.
With the control panel in front of me, I carefully remove the box cover. A tangle of wires greets me, but I’m not deterred. I cut the power supply wire and quickly splice in a looped wire to create a short circuit. The cameras are now displaying a frozen image, making it look like everything is normal. I head back upstairs, pausing to listen for any signs of the agent stirring. The house remains silent, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I slip out of the house undetected.
The neighborhood is quiet as I walk through the dark streets, looking for any type of nightlife. Figures he lives somewhere where it isn’t fun. He might be handsome, but he’s boring as shit. His life consists of being an asshole and work. That’s it.
An old liquor store sits on the corner just a few blocks ahead of me with a neon open sign flickering above the door. Judging by the bars over the windows and the trash blowing around the empty parking lot, this looks like the perfect place to pick up a scum bag to feed on.
Moving along the shadows toward the front of the building, I set my sights on a black sports car pulling up. After killing the engine, two women step out of the car to go inside. I approach them with a smile, only to find that they’re supernaturals. Shit, I’m already out in the open. I don’t care if I kill supernaturals or humans, but since I don’t have access to my secret warehouse, a human would be easier to murder than someone who has powers.
Their movements are too graceful for typical humans, a predatory smoothness hinting at their true nature. A faint smoky scent reaches my nose. They’re Dragon Shifters. I extend my power toward them, probing gently. Their auras shimmer dimly to my inner eye. I discreetly poke through their powers, hoping they won’t notice. Luckily for me, their power is weak. I add a small amount of glamour to myself so that I appear simple, non-threatening, and as harmless as a dove.
“Is there a party going on tonight?” I ask with a friendly grin.
They’re startled at first, but when they look up at me, their eyes glaze over, and their bodies relax.
“We’re going to the club,” the blonde says. “I’m Trisha, by the way, and this is Sandy.” She points to her smaller friend. “We’re picking up some friends before we get to The Velvet Room.”
Yeah, that’s not going to work. I need to feed as soon as possible.
“Let’s just head over there right now.” I push some more glamour, swaying their response to listen to me, but I can already feel my grasp slipping. It’s probably why they hesitate for a second, but before I lose them completely, I speak again. “I need you to take me to The Velvet Room now.”
“Sure,” Trisha responds, walking to the driver’s side of her car while Sandy gets in on the passenger side. I open the door and get in the back seat, waiting for Trisha to finally get going. It seems like I’m losing her again, so I use more of my power, and she starts the car without any further hesitation.
She drives for three miles, and I take note that maybe the drive from Agent Cooper’s house isn’t that far after all. I need to figure out a way to get a phone so I can use the navigation. We pull up to a crowded street lined with bars and clubs, and people stumble down the sidewalk laughing, being loud, and having the time of their lives. Trisha slows down and pulls into a parking spot. Once she shuts off the car and pulls the key out of the ignition, we get out. I swing the door open so hard they both turn around to look at me.
I shrug. “I just want to dance.”
They look at each other and laugh like that’s perfectly normal, and maybe it is. I can’t really read their expressions. I’ve never had any girlfriends before. Nick was the only friend I had, but I really fucked that one up. I push those thoughts aside because I don’t have the time to break down and cry.
I’m highly underdressed, so I glamour on a simple black party dress.
“You look hot,” Sandy says, admiring the short dress, not noticing that I just changed from the pants and shirt I was wearing earlier.