Both looked at me as though they expected me to set this matter straight. Puzzled, I glanced back and forth between them.
"Why's that crazy?"
"Because she has a cold," said Maddie. "She said she has a cold. That's why she's sniffling."
"She's pretending to have a cold," cried Doug. "What kind of sick and twisted world is this when an asshole like me is the one to notice heartache in the masses? For God's sake, her eyes are all red."
"Cold," Maddie repeated firmly. She considered. "Or maybe allergies."
"In December?"
The two of them bickered on. Beside me, Seth fought—and failed—to keep a straight face. I studied the way his lips curved into a smile, liking their shape and recalling how they felt. I turned my attention back to the siblings, enjoying the show. Finally, after about five more minutes, I remembered I was an authority figure and not a slacker employee.
"Why is this a big deal?" I asked.
"Because she's wrong," Doug said. "I'm just trying to prove that."
Maddie sighed. "You're like a twelve-year-old."
"Am not." He jabbed her in the arm.
"Okay, enough." I pointed to Doug. "You, register." I pointed to Maddie. "You, my office."
"Ooh…you're in trouble," Doug told her.
"I'm going to show her how to process orders," I growled.
Maddie's eyes gleamed with anticipation, dimples appearing in her round cheeks. She ate up new tasks.
"Female favoritism," said Doug. "You like her better than me, don't you? It's okay. You can tell me. I can take it."
"Go. Both of you. I'll be down in a sec."
I looked at Seth when they were gone. "This is why I don't have children," I told him. That wasn't true, of course. Not true at all. Children simply weren't in the cards for succubi.
"Although…I think Doug's actually right," I mused. "As crazy as that is. I saw Beth on my way in."
Seth smiled. "Maddie's a good writer and super smart, but she's kind of oblivious to other people."
I gave him a wry look. "I thought that was true about all writers."
"Some are worse than others."
"Shocking. You rode in a car with her for, what, four hours? What'd you guys talk about?"
"Writing."
I sighed. "I wish she'd relax around people other than Doug and me. She's hilarious. She came up with the idea to Silly String Doug's car after he said Betty Friedan was PMSing when she wrote The Feminine Mystique."
"I'm not sure I'd describe that as ‘hilarious' so much as ‘scary.' Besides, that was your idea," he reminded me. "You two are dangerous. Your whole soul-stealing act seems kind of softcore compared to the stuff you and Maddie concoct."
I grinned. It was true. I hadn't really hung out with a lot of women in the last century or so and was discovering I'd been missing out. "You have no idea. Social awkwardness or not, she's the best thing that's happened to me in a while."
"Oh?"
"Well, present company excluded of course."
"Sure. Whatever you say."
"Hey." I almost grabbed his hand, then remembered we were in public. "There's no competition. You're a better cook. And a better kisser."
"I didn't realize you'd tried her out."
"Well, you know how much I like writers."
My smile slipped a little as my mind switched subjects. I'd been thinking about my energy loss all morning, particularly since I'd probably be seeking my hit tonight or tomorrow. Jerome had blown the matter off, but like usual, I couldn't let it go. I decided then that I'd go visit my friend Erik Lancaster, Seattle's local mortal source of occult knowledge. He seemed to know more than my cronies half the time.
I extended the invitation to Seth, and he agreed to come with me. I was glad. I had often thought it might do him some good to talk to another human who regularly dealt with the supernatural. This was as good of a time as any.
Seth met me at my place after work, and we microwaved a quick dinner before heading out. As we walked down the stairs of my building, he teased me about Maddie again.
"You guys were working in the office a while. Sure you weren't making out?"
"Not too much," I assured him.
He laughed and caught hold of my hand. I jerked him toward me. Our lips met in a kiss, and as the warmth of his body stirred mine, I had no doubts about what the best thing in my life was. After a few sweet moments, we followed the drill and separated, our reluctance making the disentanglement a bit awkward in execution.
"Yeah," I told him. "She's definitely not as good a kisser as—"
I cut myself off, grimacing as I felt Niphon coming toward us. His immortal aura felt slimy and musky. I stepped farther away from Seth and glared down the sidewalk at the approaching imp. Seeing me, he waved a hand in greeting.
"Excuse me a moment," I muttered. I skipped down the steps and blocked Niphon from getting within earshot of Seth. "What do you want?"
"Attitude, attitude, Letha," he tsked. "Succubi should be charming and cordial at all times." He peered beyond me. "Is that the human boyfriend? Can I meet him?"
"You can go the fuck away. You're supposed to be keeping an eye on Tawny."
"I have been," he said cheerfully. "That's why I came to see you. I followed her last night. She was quite confident in her abilities but had some difficulty arranging an assignation in the end. Poor thing. It seems she may take longer than suspected in getting established. Fortunately, I'll stay with her until the end."
His mocking concern dug into me, just as he'd intended. "Is that all you came to tell me? Because I'm leaving now. I've got to be somewhere."
"Of course, of course," he simpered. He gestured vaguely in Seth's direction. "I didn't mean to interrupt your heated moment, even if it looked like it was about to cool down." A sudden look of realization crossed his face. "You don't sleep with him, do you? You've got some sort of noble sense of duty about absorbing his life. That poor, poor man." Niphon laughed. "Oh, Letha. You are one of the most fascinating creatures I've ever come across."
I turned my back on him and stormed up to Seth. "Come on, we're leaving."
"Who was that?" he asked as we walked away.
"He's an imp. And an asshole."
Even almost a block away, I could still just barely catch Niphon's taunting laughter. I tried to ignore it as Seth and I walked to his car. Listening to my friends tease me about Seth was annoying enough. From Niphon, it was unbearable. Fortunately, I calmed down by the time Seth and I got on the road. I instead focused on seeing Erik and hopefully getting my mystery solved.
Erik ran a store up in Lake City called Arcana, Ltd. Unfortunately placed in a strip mall, it nonetheless possessed a warm, cozy feel. Dim lighting shed a tranquil air, and the bubbling of small fountains mingled with the soft sounds of a CD player emitting harp music. Books, jewelry, candles, and statuary cluttered up every inch of free space. The sweet scent of nag champa hung in the air.
"Neat," said Seth, peering around as we entered.
Erik glanced up from where he was kneeling behind a stack of books. He'd grown a mustache since last I saw him, and I liked the way the gray hair stood out against his dark brown skin. A gentle smile bloomed on his face.
"Miss Kincaid, what an unexpected pleasure. And you have a friend." He rose and walked to us, extending his hand toward Seth.
"Erik, this is Seth Mortensen. Seth, Erik."
They shook. "A pleasure, Mr. Mortensen. You keep good company."
"Yes," said Seth, smiling in return. "I do."
"If we're lucky," I said silkily, "Erik will have time for tea. He only serves decaf, so that should make you happy."
"Of course I have time," said Erik. "I doubt there's any man who doesn't have time for you, Miss Kincaid."