Succubus Tear (Triune promise) (60 page)

In the heart of Paris a newly wedded couple on vacation raised their glasses. The male opened his mouth to speak but was distracted by the bursting fireworks that illuminated the Eiffel tower in sparkling beauty.

He was reminded of days since gone by…of things that once were, as the melancholy song rang out… He raised his glass as the collective roar of the crowd below giving the song its proper voice.

“A toast. To us.” He raised his glass to the west, his eyes far and away. “And to them, wherever they are, whatever they are doing. My thoughts and prayers go with you both.”

The young woman, a beautiful blonde with pale skin marked with delicate pink shook her head slightly but smiled all the same. Raising their glasses in unison they drank to themselves. He thought of his friend ever since they left that day. He could have never imagined how different life would become. Barely under a full year from his official entry to the University and he was already capturing the notice of even the brightest professors at Oxford.

Life was becoming brighter, and brighter for him now. He barely even noticed his own voice; foreign English with the native French, its sweet tenor tune adding its own melody to the multitude. But as the words of days gone by rose onto the night air, and tears of the sweetest melancholy fell to the ground. He couldn’t help but feel that everything was going to turn out okay.

He had made it. Out of the senselessness that was wasting his life; a waste that many others could never even acknowledge they were in, let alone escape. Out of crushing despair and guilt that drove so many before him to such self-serving self-destructing self-pity. To at last arrive to his life’s purpose…he could feel it…but more than that. He believed it.

As the song ended and the crowd below roared its joy he turned to his bride. “Come. It is cold, and we have the entire year before us.”  

“I love you, Charlie” Stella said touching his face, her eyes so deep within his.

“I love you, Stella” Charlie replied bringing her close looking up to the manmade stars that burst upon the sky…whispering silently to what he knew was watching…“Thank you.”

Together they poured two more glasses that sat full on the table long after they left, until at long last the waiter came to take them, confused by the waste.

Epilogue; Walter, Jeannette, and Shane

Walter stared into the depths of the obsidian mirror. The agents of corruption almost won. It was interesting how masterfully Taint’s agents had been placed. It took a lot of resources to
discreetly facilitate Cain and his Succubus wife to slip through the border. And even then, Cain almost got his throat sliced by a drunk…a homeless drunk! Of all the things that could have gotten him!

“Walter, perhaps it is enough today, no?”

Walter turned, Jeanette was lounging in a cherry wood armchair that had been recently added to the empty space.

“Not quite. Remember that paper that came in the mail?”

“Ah yes, ‘ow crude it was. I caught the forgery monsieur Lamentson tried to pass on to you-”

“I signed it.”

Jeannette stood, “What? Walter, that contract-”

“I know. It all went according to plan…thousands of years ahead of schedule. It is something I never expected.” He rubbed his chin and grinned. “The Succubus is irrelevant now. Her child is everything. I suspect the daughter of Cain and Al’bah Lamentson will be the most powerful Nephelim ever.”

“But, but- Z’at would mean Monsieur Harper is now in a position to-”

The door burst open,
“
Freeze! FBI! Hands up!
”

Walter looked up… and smiled.
All according to plan.

***

The court proceedings for Walter Stratton and Jeannette Telannis were a shady ordeal. So many private conferences with the judge and the new DA...Shane didn’t like it.

Against Walter’s wishes, Shane opened the package he had on the former DA, and put him down anyway. And subsequently his fifty-to-life sentence was cut short by the crooks he put in prison. The official report was that he hanged himself…yeah, sure.

Just like all the private conferences were done in the interest of justice. Shane took an exasperated breath as the judge, Walter and several lawyers returned from yet another conference. He wouldn’t be surprised at all if Walter walked. Especially seeing the content look in his face. Shane cursed himself, he knew the new DA was just as corrupt. He had to be, the damn bastard’s first job was at the Stratton law firm.

“All rise!”

“Mister Stratton, given the recent enlightening events and your cooperation with the law, I sentence you to three years of house arrest. Your firm and all its controlling assets will remain under your control.” The Judge banged his gavel, and Walter nodded his acknowledgement to the bailiff who uncuffed him.

Shane nodded grimly at the powder-puff sentence. That Walter was a real slippery one. He would deal with him later.

Shane glanced over to a man in a suit standing by the exit. It was the sign for him to get a move on. His role in this city was played out, and the Tal-Voh was completely destroyed, another body count, this time in the hundreds…and another notch to the leather band on his hat.

Just as he started to make his way, Jeannette stood in front of him. Her blue eyes were cold, her usual pouty mouth
was pulled into a hard line.

Funny how much she reminds me of detective Fullson lookin like that.
Shane mused and tipped his hat. “Ma’im.”

“Before I spen
d my sentence with Monsieur Stratton, I would like to give zis to you, Shane ‘arper.”

Shane grimaced slightly;
that she used his full name conveyed a ‘polite-hatred’ he had never experienced before. But, he’d be damned if a woman cowed him now. Especially this particular woman.

“Suppose it couldn’t hurt.”

Jeannette turned to the Bailiff and handed him a small object and left without another word.

“This mean anything to you?”

Shane took the small object.

“I guess y’all could say that.”
Shane muttered, remembering Walter’s words as he tumbled the object in his hands. It was a chess piece…A silver knight.

“Cain, it is time.”

Time for what?
Cain mumbled in his mind, wondering for a moment who was speaking.

“Cain, Rinnah is coming, I can feel it! She is ready!”

Rinnah? Who is- Oh shit!
Cain got up from bed and propped himself up on his elbows. “Are you sure? Are you in any pain?”

“Am I sure? Yes. Am I in pain? No. I am quite well. Cain, it is a miracle. Today is the day we shall see the face of our daughter!” Her eyes were bright with purple fire, casting a strange illumination within the room.

“Well, is there anything I can do? I never-”

Al’bah placed her fingers to Cain’s lips, and closed her eyes, allowing darkness to settle in once more. She made a shushing sound that went on, and on. “I can not imagine anything I want or need, but for you to be awake to witness our daughter being brought into the world. Be still my love, my husband, there is no danger; rejoice.”

Cain rolled over on his back, barely able to keep his legs still. He could hear his own breathing complemented by Al’bah’s. Every so often she would shift her body, or make small vocalizations fueling his anticipation.

“Do we have time? I need a moment.” Cain said quietly.

Al’bah opened her eyes again and he could see her nod.

Cain got up, and reflected on the last six months. It all seemed like a strange dream. Ever since they left the Well’s Al’bah revealed another use for her spiritual abilities; she could locate gold in any form, with incredible ease. Cain wondered why he didn’t realize it sooner. The many times she accused him of ‘worshipping’ money and her stating such worship gave money immense spiritual power.

The day after their wedding, Al’bah declared her wedding present to Cain would be to never need money again. He chuckled to himself as he got out a bottle of water out of the fridge of the tiny run-down apartment; even though they could live like royalty, he preferred to live with fewer
things
than he had when he worked construction.

In fact, he couldn’t even remember the last time he needed Al’bah to find gold so they could buy the things they needed to survive. As much as Charlie was a silversmith, Cain had taken to masonry, wood, and leather crafting. Most of the things he crafted were masterworks; custom doors, clocks, frames, toys, and all sorts of odds and ends. All of them sold for pittances, but still more than enough to subside on.

Al’bah was right. She was always right. Cain could finally see the truth in her statement, and Purity’s statement; things get in the way of what’s important.  And although he was technically richer than he had ever been in his life; he no longer cared for money, or its gain.

She and Cain were always on the run, and kept a slow, but steady migration south. He loved the heat, and how it contrasted with cold, cold nights. He loved the culture and the people. Al’bah had even helped him to learn Spanish by extending his dreams by
lifetimes
. And, although only six months had passed since they were married, Cain felt like he was with Al’bah for thousands of years.

It wasn’t always an easy love. There were times he made her so angry she revealed her monstrous form to him on more than one occasion. And, there were times she made him so angry. He even once took a motorcycle in what was supposed to be a solo suicidal joyride on the mountains of Peru.  That was
another turning point in their relationship; for that day, Al’bah took flight, and saved his life.

It was the day Cain surrendered to her, as she had done to him so many times, so many lifetimes ago. And now-

“Cain, quickly!”

Cain re-entered the bedroom; Al’bah had turned on the light, she was now on top of several towels. Her eyes were wide, as was her smile. She held out her arms and Cain quickly came close and took her hands.

“Are you ready?” She whispered.

Cain nodded, feeling an electric shock run through his body.

“Good.” She lay back down, and in seconds, Rinnah Lamentson entered the world upon the hands of her father; a newborn, a Nephilim, a Human-Succubus hybrid that cried softly, and looked upon the room with eyes filled with confusion.

“She is cold, she is hungry.” Al’bah said softly, sitting back up, holding her arms out to receive her miracle.

Cain stared dumbstruck into the face of his daughter. Her eyes were a brilliant green, her face was a complete copy of Al’bah’s and-

“Cain, Ma-e-Tai; please, let me hold her.”

Cain handed Rinnah over, and watched Al’bah wipe the after birth from her body and cradled her close to her breast. “Jal-tei-Rinnah-ra-tel-yu-yun-ha-mei” She cooed.

Cain panted; he hadn’t done anything extraneous, but he was completely out of breath. There, before him was the most beautiful sight he could ever imagine; revealing so much of the greatness, mystery, and majesty of the Lord.

“This moment calls for a picture, yes?” Al’bah said looking up at Cain; tears in her eyes.