Like Death Itself
Michelle stood bye silently, watching as Pero picked the homely slut up and took her away to god knows where. She knew where. She followed his overwhelming scent across the city, finding him and the same woman, both of them now half nude, in a private room, a very posh one at that, about to make love. And thuse she decided the girl’s life was a little pittance for Pero’s warning.
She battered the girl, and Pero noticed her hesitancy as she slipped out of the booty shorts. She chomped the soul up without a single explanation, smiling and slipping fully into the body. Used indeed, she could feel the whole inner workings of this woman from her pains in the kidneys to the headache waiting to the start. But pain meant little to nothing for a succubus.
Pero slid up beside her in the large satin and velvet draped floor, twining an arm around her legs and bidding her to lay down now, for it was so luxuriously soft down there. Something was also a lot more exotic, exuberant and alluring to him about Shezzebel tonight. Her dirty blond hair was suddenly a bit more soft and longer, shimmering in the candle glow, as was her skin, finally taking on a healthy glow. He liked his women pale, and though she was the color of the moon’s heavenly face, she seemed to glow like it was a deathly tan.
And it was. Her flesh was already hot and inviting, her touches more than exciting him tonight. As she moved to straddle him, guiding him onto his back, he didn’t protest, her kisses dulling his senses as she assumed the body she had been born with. Pero would, no doubt, recognize her. Black hair and piercing blue eyes stared back at him as he sobered, and a stronger than was natural hand clamped over his throat.
“A man watched by Countess of Black would do well to watch his back,” she growled in a vicious, demonic tongue. Pero bit back a threat as she dug hideous white cat’s claws into his throat, his vision shifting into the black realm where her etheral form shown. Her skin was outlined by a steaming hue of blue and green, the deeps of her slitted pupils the deepest black as was her skin, around it the bloodiest hues fo mauve and red.
She grinned, revealing row after row of sharp teeth and a long, rasping forked tongue. “You touch Joshua, you consider yourself a dead man, Perotino Valliano.”
Joshua awoke huffing and puffing in the dark room. Gagged so that he might not scream, bound and blindfolded, stuffed into a box to keep him standing. Torture wasn’t one of Pero’s better skills, but Pero’s ‘pet’ Jenzen would break his fingers one by one. The thought sent shivers up his spine, but suddenly he felt comforted. Little did her know that Pero was dressed and scared out of his ever-living in the next room over, looking again and again to the body that dissected itself atop him, holding him down to let the blood run over him.
But he did hear the last, wailing screech. It was that of something undead, hideous and devilish, drawing on the terror of the man. He thought it was just another dead whore Pero was beating for leaving him unsated. He felt a second, colder, shiver run up his spine inside that tiny, smelly box. He would sleep no more tonight.
Michelle watched them as she chuckled and stepped through the wall, leaving not a bit of evidence to get anyone in trouble. She had nothing against Pero, so long as the man didn’t lift a hair off of her precious Joshua’s head. Not one. Or she castrate Pero for the hell of it.
She snickered again, tinkering with the phone. If the guards weren’t superstitious, now they were when it rang up the police. Knowing this phone’s trace personally, the officers looked to each other over the office desk and their faces blanched. Gang wars were not uncommon, and if someone had claimed a coup on Pero, this would be the signal. Michelle had seen that in Pero’s greatest fears, but not before she’d stoled his seed. It didn’t matter if they made love, she had ways, and now… well, now she’d bring up a half-demon to her side to assist her before she killed it to obliterate a second, more devious crime scene.
And perhaps several more until Joshua was a free man. She listened to the horrified gasps as she walked through the three guards in turn, chanting a spell to make their scents more appealing to her, to remind the hungry succubus that she had more work to do when the night was over. Tonight, she had fasted, tomorrow she would assume the role of a vicious hunter once more.
All of the sudden, Richard and Joshua were reunited, in a bright flourescent-lit room with a window to a darker room. They were on bed, the whole of the room a starched, cleanly white. Richard made to move to stretch or to clean himself up, a six day beard appearring over his sunken cheeks. He felt his stomach rumble and looked around, but to no avail.
Pero, pacing behind the glass, talked to Barty and Neloman who sat watching and monitoring the two captives.
“See that the Richard one is taken out back and…” he began but then he thought back to Michelle’s ominous threat. “Let him go.”
Barty and Neloman looked too him, the shorter and more plump Neloman dropping his prized catch, a chocolate glazed donut. “What?!” they shrieked in unison.
Pero backhanded them both and swore up and down, until Barty walked to the door and called for Richard. “Just you.”
Joshua growled and stood in front of him, giving Richard a knowing look. He knew Pero disposed of the ‘worthless ones’ without mercy.
“No, Pero wants him freed.” Barty said, hurrying them on as he nervously watched the furious Pero and a cursing Neloman look to him at the hesitation. “We’ll give him a gun… and two bullets… a cell phone and a car too.”
Pero nodded and waved a hand. None of it matter, he had fleets of cars, boxes of guns and cell phones, a whole treasury of bullets and magazines. One or two wouldn’t make a difference.
Richard pushed Joshua aside and nodded, whispering something discreetly as he passed. “They need a sniffa fer yer gal.”
Joshua stifled the smile easily, knowing that she had outwitted that bastard again. Yet again, she had managed to disappear probably and this patter had them all worried, for what force might she have rallied in the last six days? And before then, even, a whole week or two now. Joshua did well to bite back a snapping comment at Pero while the door was open.
As was promised, Richard was given a gun with two bullets, a car and a phone and he sped away from Pero’s private island compound like the Southern breezes, heading for the border. If he got down to Temecula, he’d be safe, for in Temecula was a nuetral zone and Pero would have to stretch to worthless lengths to get just one man. Joshua and Michelle were king and queen of the better part of the city, championing the fight ti throw Pero off the city’s back for eight years now.
As soon as Richard was out of sight, Pero threw a great fit and in that time, he ordered Joshua released as well. Joshua headed north, without box or money, nor gun or phone, headed to hell knew where. Anywhere. Then he got pulled voer for speeding, on purpose. He’d be safest in the police compounds, and there he was in two hours.
Michelle saw the opportune moment and couldn’t skip it. Coming to a wanton call, she appeared before Joshua in a half-clad body, curling up in his arms and sighing.
“Joshua, I’ve nto much time to explain. I’m not able to be your wife and I’ve lost the child, to pay in for the gift my elderly uncle gave me… oh woe! This cursed gift… but you are safe, you will live…” she whispered. Joshua took it all in stride, kissing her and gasping prayers for her safe return. Or so he believed.
“This is a dream, I’ve not much longer. I’m safe, don’t look for me, and Pero will soon be… taken care of.” Michelle managed before her body fade. “I love you.” She squealed as her lack of energy return her to a deep lethargy in the Black, with dawn showing through the window. Joshua fell forward and cursed as her body slipped from his hands. This delusion left him with more questions than answer, though, for he now wondered what dark cold had befalled her to make her skin and voice so… cold.
Like Death itself.
