Living La Vida Loca

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Living La Vida Loca

"This has to be the strangest date I've ever been on," Kelly said, as she accelerated her car onto the freeway. "And that includes our first one."

"It wasn't that weird," Henry commented from the passenger seat, as he flipped through the book on his lap.

"For you maybe, you're the one who's all mystical; I'm perfectly normal," she protested, easily merging into the late night traffic.

He laughed, snapping the book closed, causing dust to rise from its pages. The leather-bound tome was over a century old, and showed it. "You're the one who wanted to come with me," he said.

"I know, and I had fun... but that guy in the store, he gave me the creeps."

"The shopkeeper?" he asked, a little surprised, "He's harmless."

"No, the other guy in the store, the thin one who looked like he hadn't eaten in a few weeks."

He nodded, thinking back over their trip. He hadn't been paying much attention to what had been going around him in the shop. He was more interested in picking up his items than in looking at the other customers.

"I don't remember him," he replied, "but knowing the kind of people who show up there, it's probably a good thing he creeped you out."

"And why is that?" she asked, glancing over at him.

Henry smiled, and shrugged slightly. "Oh, he was probably a vampire."

She shook her head, and returned her focus to the road. "Vampires are real?" A little bit of fear crept into her voice.

"Very real," he replied, deadpan.

Kelly had been afraid of vampires her whole life. No matter how cool and hip Hollywood made them, they still scared her. To discover that not only where they real, but that she had been standing just feet from one made her shiver.

"What's that car doing?" Henry asked a few moments later.

The car in question was a hundred feet in front of them, and was weaving back and fourth across the road. It was drifting until it was nearly crossing into the next lane, before being jerked back. Squinting her eyes, she could make out the silhouettes of two people in the front seat.

"The driver's probably drunk," she said, as she eased off the gas, increasing the distance between them.

"Maybe," he said with a frown. "Perhaps we should call the police, not that it would do much good."

She smirked, "Your faith in humanity is reassuring."

He laughed, and began to say something, but bit it off as the car ahead of them started to twist across the road. It plowed across the empty right lane and through the guardrail into the ditch. It pulled back, heading towards the freeway, trying to return to the road.

It crashed through the guardrail once more, the front end binding up with the metal, causing the car to spin. The rear wheels clipped the side of the ditch, and the car flipped onto its roof, ripping free, and sliding down the road, spinning in the process. It finally came to a stop, wobbling on the crushed passenger compartment, looking for all the world like an overturned turtle.

Kelly had slammed her foot onto the brakes the moment the accident had begun, coming to a stop a few hundred feet away. Her headlights illuminated the overturned car, highlighting the thick smoke building inside the passenger compartment and trailing out the shattered windows, the flickering of flames growing.

"Shit," Henry said, ripping his seat belt off, and exploding out of the car onto the highway.

She followed suit a moment later, only pausing to turn on her hazard lights as she rushed out of her door.

In only a few seconds, Henry was at the side of the vehicle, trying to get to the driver. She went to the passenger side, peering into the smoke-filled compartment, the heat from the fire already making it almost too hot to help.

She could see her boyfriend start to drag the driver out of the car. His body was badly burnt already, with flames still licking at his clothing.

Of the passenger she couldn't see anything.

Still, she looked deeper, searching the back seat and up under the inverted dash board with no luck. Whoever else had been riding in the car, they must have been thrown free during the accident.

She moved back around the car, coughing from the smoke she inhaled. On the far side, she found Henry, desperately trying to give the driver CPR, but without any luck. Rather disturbingly, the man's pants were hanging open, leaving him lewdly exposed, and apparently still erect.

"I wish I had a cell phone," she said, staring off into space for a moment. She shook her head, clearing it, and glanced back at where the car had exited the ditch. She dashed towards the opening in the guardrail, looking for any sign of the passenger.

She was still searching ten minutes later when the police arrived, one of whom joined her. By the time the paramedics had arrived on scene a few minutes later, she and the cop had covered the area of the accident three times over, with no sign of a second person.

Finally the officer sent her away when more help arrived. They were still continuing to look for the other passenger, but the cop seemed to be doubtful that what she had seen was someone else.

Another officer took charge of her then, spending a few minutes to get her statement about what had happened. He too seemed to disbelieve what she thought she had seen. Even so, she was still sure that there had been a second person in the car.

She felt a bit dejected as she returned to her own car. Henry was already there, sitting on the hood, and looking both angry and annoyed. He hated death in all its forms, and the night's events had clearly affected him.

"Are you all right?" She asked, sitting down next to him. His eyes were focused on the paramedics, watching as they moved the body onto a stretcher.

"I'm going to be fine, I guess. I just don't like this," he answered.

"You're not the only one," she said, turning her head away from the accident.

He sighed, and placed his hand on her hip. "It's not like that, Kelly, there's something else here. Did you see the condition he was in?"

"You mean?" she asked, motioning at the front of her pants.

"Right," he replied. "When I was trying to save him, I could feel something strange. I did some quick checks, and discovered that his soul was gone, drained from his body."

She sighed, and understood. "A demon?" she said in a hushed tone. It was something that she wouldn't have even thought of just a month and a half before. That was before one had crashed her company's Halloween party, and begun changing everyone, starting with herself, into other things.

Henry had been there, as her guest, and had managed to save them from the monster. He had destroyed the creature and turned everyone, except her, back into themselves. She had stayed as a human-like tigress for a few days, but eventually she too had returned to normal.

It was after that night that she and Henry had become a couple, a relationship that had grown in strength as time went by.

If it was a demon, it would also explain why they couldn't find the other passenger. It had simply left the scene when it was finished with its job, with no worry about being injured by something as simple as a car accident.

"I think so," he said, answering her question. "I can't be sure until I get a chance to take a closer look at the body, but it felt that way."

She glanced at the medics, who were loading the corpse into the ambulance. "How will you be able to do that?"

He shifted a bit uncomfortably, and gently squeezed her hip. "I know someone who works at the morgue. I'll give him a call when we get home."

"You have strange friends," she commented.

"Silly Tiger," he said with a laugh, "I have a strange job."

Kelly blushed softly, although it was lost on her chocolate skin, and stood up. "I know," she said, and started to walk towards the driver's side of her car. He was an O-Saukie, a demon hunter; he tracked down and killed the demons that came to Earth. It was, as he said, a very strange job.

She slid into the car, and reached over, opening the passenger-side door so he could get in. Once they were both settled, she started the car, and continued back to the boarding house they called home.

* * *

Henry gave a pair of quick raps on Kelly's door, and waited the few seconds it took for her to call out permission to enter. Once he had that, he stepped inside the room.

She was standing in front of her closet, buttoning up the front of her blouse for work. She gave him a quick glance as he came inside, and smiled slightly.

"Sleep well?" he asked her, closing the door behind himself and taking a moment to admire her body.

"Not really," she replied, tucking the end of her blouse into the waist of her suit pants. "I dreamed about the accident, but that's to be expected."

He nodded, and set his jacket and a small bag of items on her bed, then walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "True, it is pretty normal. I even had dreams about it."

She giggled, and turned to face him, her blue eyes glowing in the morning sunlight. "I thought you didn't dream?" she asked.

"I do, a little, but not often. Usually they're prophetic."

She nodded, "I see, dreaming about your job. Were there any demons in your dreams last night?"

He laughed, and kissed her softly. "Nope, just pretty tigers."

She blushed, and kissed him back, before wiggling out of his grasp. "I had better hurry, otherwise I'll be late for work."

"I'll stop harassing you then, and let you finish getting ready." He slipped away from her, and settled himself down on her half-made bed.

She smiled, and turned to her dressing table, picking up a small pair of earrings. "So what are your plans today? Did you manage to call your friend at the morgue?"

He nodded, "Yes, I got hold of him last night; he's going to let me slip in later this morning. I'll look over the body, and make sure my suspicions are wrong."

"And if they aren't?" she asked as she put on her lipstick.

"Then there is a demon on the loose, and it probably won't be satisfied with just one soul," he said, in a grave voice.

She nodded, playing with her hair a bit, then brushing it back before turning away from the mirror. "And you'll stop him," she said.

"Yes, I'll stop him."

Kelly picked up her jacket off the back of her chair, and pulled it over her shoulders. "How do I look?" she asked.

He smiled, looking over her, his eyes tracking up from her long legs, to her lovely face. "Perfect," he said.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, lifting her purse from the dressing table, then starting towards the door of the room. "I had better go."

Henry nodded, standing up and giving her a tight hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "Have a good day at work, and give my regards to Steven."

She laughed, and slipped out of his grasp, but not before returning the kiss. "He doesn't even remember you," she replied. Steven, her boss, had no memory of what had really happened at the Halloween party. The only people who actually remembered the events of that night were the two of them.

He retrieved his things from her bed, shrugging the old army jacket on as he followed her into the hall. He escorted her out of the boarding house, waving to Ms. Baker, the owner, as they passed her. He stood by as she climbed into her car, and waved as she drove away.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he glanced up at the morning sun. It had only risen half an hour before, the winter days this far north were shorter than he was used to.

He tucked his bag of things under his arm, and started walking down the street. The morgue was only a few miles away, something that wasn't an accident. Sadly he knew the way pretty well from the many times he had walked it.

There was a chill in the mid-December air. Winter had dug in, but there was, as yet, no snow on the ground. He didn't mind, he hated snow. It reminded him of what had happened to his sister.

He shook his head, trying not to think about it. It was a dark moment in his life, and part of the reason why he was an O-Saukie, instead of an architect as he had always wanted.

It was a reasonably good life, the group was well organized, and gave him enough every month to live on, if he wasn't very extravagant. It covered his room at the boarding house, food, and the items he needed for his work.

There had been some talk between Kelly and himself about moving in together. The boarding house did have larger rooms, and they could easily afford one.

Actually, even by herself, Kelly could afford one. She could easily afford a house if she wanted. She made good money, but preferred to live in the boarding house.

So did he. It was one of the few places he had lived where he felt comfortable. To think, he was going to leave after what had happened at the party. Running away from Kelly because of his attraction to her was a foolish idea, but something he had done before.

Still, he had stayed, and was very glad that he had. The relationship between the two of them had been growing since, and both of them were pleased with it.

The only thing he partly regretted was not waiting to be intimate with her. It had happened that first night, while she was still partly feline. They had both enjoyed it, but had later decided to hold off on doing it again until they were ready.

Henry enjoyed having a girlfriend, and enjoyed the things he and Kelly did together. Going out on dates with her was a lot of fun, and he enjoyed talking to her.

She also knew about his work, which was a benefit as well. It meant he didn't have to hem and haw around the subject like he had to with other people. It was a great relief in its own way.

Of course, it made things more complicated in other ways. Most O-Saukie were eventually killed by the demons they tried to hunt. A few lived to an old age, and they became members of The Council, who ran the group. They were naturally cautious, and avoided any risks they didn't have to take.

He remembered how much he had fought to get in, after his brother had been killed on his first mission. They didn't like having family in the business, it brought on vendettas. It had taken a few weeks, but he had managed to convince them to let him train.

Even so, the first demon he had gone after had been the one who killed his brother. It was just one of those things that he had to do. The Council had known that when they let him train, but had still allowed it, something Henry had never really figured out.

With his hands still in his pocket, he approached the morgue. It was in a simple-looking office building off a side street, a few miles from the hospital. It blended in with the rest of the buildings; the only indication that it was a place of death was the small plaque by the door that read 'City Morgue'.

He pushed his way through the front door into the small lobby. It wasn't very impressive as lobbies go: a small waiting area with a few chairs, a locked security door in the back, and a simple wooden desk, behind which sat a bored-looking guard who glanced up at Henry as he walked in.

"Oh, it's you," he said, sounding as bored as he looked. He buzzed open the security door. "Go right in. Jason is in his office."

"Thanks," Henry replied, pulling open the heavy door and stepping over the threshold. Inside it looked like normal offices, with some chattering echoing down the hallways.

He followed a familiar route through the halls, ignoring most of the people who saw him. They in turn ignored him, having grown used to his occasional presence. In a short time, he arrived at his friends office. The door was open, and he could see Jason sitting at his desk. A large man in his late fifties, his red hair showed heavy streaks of gray around a perpetually growing bald spot.

"Busy?" Henry asked, stepping inside the small room.

He looked up from his work, and smiled, lifting his considerable bulk out of his chair. "Not really, just doing paperwork. You're a bit later than I expected, but that's not a problem."

Henry smiled, "You have the body ready for me?"

"Yep," his friend replied, walking past the younger man and into the hall. "It's in a small examination room. There's not a lot going on today, so no one should bother you."

"Not going to watch this time?" he asked with a smile as he followed his friend through the building.

Jason shook his head. "Not this time. I have too much that needs to be done. The slower it is, the more time I have to catch up on all my paperwork."

"Now that is evil," he replied with a laugh.

Jason smiled, "That it is, and here we are," he said, pushing open a large door.

They stepped inside. Henry winced at the smell. He had been around dead bodies before, but it was never a pleasant thing.

The man who had died the night before was lying on the table in the center of the room. A sheet covered his body, but fell strangely over the burnt flesh.

"A nasty way to die," the older man said.

Henry nodded. "I have a feeling it was a lot nastier than it seems," he replied, pulling out his small bag, and unzipping the top. From it he removed a small golden rod, three inches long, with a silver bulb at the tip.

He held it in front of himself as he approached the table, using it something like a dousing rod. It pulled in his hand as he neared the body, twisting upwards, then to the side. "Well, his soul is gone," he commented.

Behind him Jason laughed, "Of course it is, he's dead!"

Henry shot his friend a mean look, then shook his head. "I thought you were busy? Anyway, I don't think Death has anything to do with what happened to his soul. His touch isn't on this body."

"That's not good," the older man said, not moving from where he stood.

"No, it's not," Henry replied, putting the rod away, and pulling out a glass globe. Inside was a small light, glowing pale green. It grew brighter as he held it close to the body, flickering and fading as he moved it around.

"There's some residue," he muttered, half to himself. "The soul was sucked out, from here," he said, stopping with his hand over the body's crotch. The shaking green light glowed fiercely inside the globe.

"Must have been one hell of an orgasm."

"And his last," he replied, putting the globe away. "This is a very specific method of extraction, I can only think of one type of demon that would do it this way, but I need to be absolutely sure."

He dug around in his bag, searching along the bottom until he came up with a small folded square of paper. Being very careful not to spill anything, he opened it. Inside was a small pile of powder. It was a sickly yellow color under the florescent lights of the room.

Gingerly, he sprinkled the powder over the covered body, letting it settle down over the sheet, giving it a yellow sheen. Once every grain was out of the paper, he unfolded it the rest of the way, and dug through his pockets, coming up with a lighter. With a quick flick, he lit the end of the paper, and dropped it, stepping back as it fluttered down to land on the sheet.

The yellow powder burst into a blaze of blue fire. It lasted only a few seconds, but burnt so brightly that the afterglow was left glowing in his vision.

"Shit," Henry said, rubbing his eyes, "I hate it when I'm right."

* * *

"It's a what?" Kelly asked, looking across the table towards Henry, their dinner spread out between them.

"A succubus," he said again, casting a quick glance around the room to make sure that they weren't attracting any undue attention. No one in the small Chinese restaurant seemed to notice that they were there.

She nodded, pushing her food around with her fork. Discussing his work would sometimes leave her without an appetite. This was quickly starting to shape up to be one of those times. "And what exactly is that?"

"It's a sex demon," he said, a little bluntly. "She seduces men, making them crave her sexually. Some of the better ones can take years draining a single man of his soul, slowly teasing it out one encounter at a time, corrupting him in the process. Others, like this one, take everything in one go, pulling the victims soul out in one last fatal fuck."

She frowned, and set her fork down on her plate. "That sounds unpleasant," she said, starring down at her food, trying to hang onto the last bit of appetite she had left.

He chuckled. "Most of the guys I grew up with would have loved to die in the arms of a lovely women. An overrated fantasy, I think. Personally, I plan to die of old age, and not for many more years."

"You're in the wrong job for that," she said, leaning back in her chair.

He shrugged. "I know, but there are things I need to do. Once I've found the gun, then I'll retire a happy man."

She nodded, folding her hands on the tabletop. "So, what are we going to do about this succubus?" The word sounded strange as it rolled off her tongue, a hint of her southern accent slipping in.

Henry took a bite of his sweet and sour shrimp, and played with his fork as he chewed. "Well I have to hunt her down, and kill her, preferably before anyone else gets killed. No one else is in a position to deal with her."

"And how do we hunt her down?"

He paused, raising his right eyebrow. "You know, I'm hearing an awful lot of 'we' in this conversation. I really don't think it's a good idea for you to be tagging along on a hunt."

"I've already seen your job," she said, picking her fork back up. Her appetite was starting to return as her stomach protested its lack of food.

"I know, and it didn't go very well for you," he protested.

She smiled a bit, taking a bite of her food. "I'm not sure I would say that. I liked being a tigress, and the tail was nice."

A smile played over his face. "I remember it was something that fit your personality surprisingly well. I just don't want you to risk getting hurt. A lot of people die around demons-- I don't want you to become one of them."

"I don't want you to be one of them, either," she replied, her voice slightly cold.

He laughed softly, and nodded, "You're not the only one, Kelly."

"So, how are _you_ going to track her down?" she asked, before taking another bite.

"Well, I'll use the usual way," he replied with a wave of his hand.

She leaned forward, dishing herself up some more food from the various plates that covered the table between them. "And what, exactly, is the 'usual' way?"

Henry paused, and smiled at her, dropping his fork onto his plate. "Well, it depends on the demon. Some are pretty easy to track, others take a lot more work. In this case, it looks like it will be a bit of a challenge. I know enough about her, kind of her scent, that I can work out where in town she is, but that's not very accurate. It will only be within a few miles, after that, I'm going to be on foot. She's probably hanging out at a bar of some kind; it would be easier to pick up a guy that way."

"There are a lot of singles bars in town," she said, tapping her fork against the edge of her plate. What she didn't say was that she knew where most of them were. She had spent the last few years jumping from one to another trying to fine someone to be with.

But that was before she had met Henry.

"Not just singles bars. She may hit the normal bars as well. Hell, she might even be working a street corner. Once I'm in the area, I might be able to narrow it down when I'm on foot. She'll be using her magic to seduce her victim I can use that to lock onto her, but only when I'm close to her.

"At the risk of someone's life," she said.

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, that's the only problem. She could kill again before I could do anything to stop her. And there's no telling how many she has killed before that accident. She was trying to be subtle about it, and she succeeded; no one ever noticed it before."

She nodded, "So, how do we work out where she's going to be tonight? It's already dark, she could be out there right now, hunting her next victim."

He smiled slightly, noticing her use of 'we' again. Pushing his plate away, he said, "Most demons can come out at any time of the day, not just when it's dark. Hell, there are a few that can only come out during the day. I've already started the tracking spell, and it's prepping back at the boarding house. It should be ready by the time we get back from dinner."

"That's good, and you do know that I'm going to come with you anyway, right?" she asked, fishing her wallet out from her purse as the waiter brought over their bill, and fortune cookies.

He sighed and nodded, "I know, I was kind of expecting that. I just want you to take care of yourself. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself, but I think your gun will be a problem if you have to deal with her in public," she said, taking her cookie, and cracking it open.

He nodded. "I have that covered," he commented, pulling out a handful of bills from his pocket, and dropping them on the table. "Trust me about it."

She smiled, "I do." She glanced at him for a moment. "Aren't you going to read your cookie?"

"No," he said with a smile, "they're always wrong for me."

"Come on, that can't be true, "she said, glancing at her own fortune. It was the usual good life and times stuff.

Henry laughed softly, "Oh really! Watch this," he said, picking up the cookie, and cracking it over the back of his knuckles.

Letting the cookie fall to his plate, he fished out his fortune. "Let's see now, 'You will be successful in all of life's endeavors'", he read, and lifted his eyebrows.

"Well, that one seems like it's pretty accurate for you," she said with a smirk.

"This time," he replied, putting the fortune into his wallet. "Just wait till the next one."

She stood up, and offered him her hand. "We'll have to see when the time comes. Come on, we have work to do."

He smiled, and took her hand. "I have work to do, you're just the sidekick this time." he said with a chuckle.

* * *

"And number three," Henry said as he pushed his way into the crowded bar. Kelly walked behind him, trying hard to blend in. She was succeeding, having picked out a rather hot combination of an ankle-length skirt, and a short top that left her midriff bare.

Henry, on the other hand, stood out in his usual combination of faded jeans, faded black shirt, and tattered army jacket. They seemed to balance out each other in the end. She made a mental note to take charge of dressing him the next time they went out.

Kelly glanced around the bar, taking in the people that were crowded inside. There was an equal mix of men and women filling the room. Most were drinking and talking with each other, while pretending not to be hitting on everyone in sight.

"She should be near," he muttered, walking alongside Kelly towards a corner of the bar. He was hunched down, staring at a small bowl of glowing water in his hand.

"You said that last time," she replied, grasping his arm gently, and pulling him to the side. He didn't even notice, nor did he notice the rather well built man, carrying a pair of drinks, that he had nearly run into.

He huffed slightly as they slid into a corner table, just as the previous occupants picked their things up and started out of the bar.

She pulled out a chair, and crossed her legs, letting her pump dangle from her toes. "How is it we can always find a table no matter where we go?"

"It's a talent," he replied with a smile as he set the bowl on the table. From the way he said it, she suspected there was some sort of story behind it.

He remained hunched over the bowl, watching it intently as the glowing water flickered and changed color.

She reached out, and placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "See any sign of her?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied with a frown. "I'm not very good at magic, so this isn't very accurate, even less than I was hoping for."

"It's ok, Hon," she said with a second squeeze. "Can you fine tune it?"

He smiled as he reached up, and placed his hand on hers. "I'm trying. Each time we miss, I narrow the range down a bit more. I think we're getting closer to her. There's a very good chance she's in this bar."

She nodded, sliding around the table to sit next to him, as he stared out at the population of the bar. "That's a start. So, do you have any idea which one she might be?"

"That's the hard part," he said with a sigh. "It could be anyone here."

She nodded, glancing around the room. No one really stood out in her mind. It was just the usual crowd she had come to expect in this kind of place.

"Whoa!" Henry said, jumping back from the table. The bowl of water had suddenly faded.

She leaned forward, glancing down at the water. The surface had become as black as ebony, reflecting the light of the bar with a dull sheen. It made her own reflection look dark and evil.

"The succubus must be close," she said.

"Definitely in this room," he replied, sitting up and scanning the bar.

Some part of Kelly expected the demon to stand out, to be incredibly beautiful, the kind of person who drew every ones attention as soon as she entered the room. Sadly, there was no one like that in the bar.

"I guess she wouldn't be that obvious," she muttered to herself.

"What?" Henry asked, the majority of his attention focused on the people around them.

She shook her head. "Nothing, just thinking out loud."

He nodded, "Now we just have to find her," he said, standing up and stretching his arms. "That's going to be the hard part, there are at least thirty women in here, and any one of them could be her."

"Wouldn't it be more likely that it would be someone who just came in?" she asked, standing up next to him, brushing her skirt down as she came to her feet.

"Maybe, but there could be a delayed reaction on the tracking spell. It would be best to check everyone out before we do anything."

She nodded, "How will we know it's her?"

He sighed and shrugged, "A valid question. There's not much to go on, but I think I have something." He dug through his pockets, and pulled out a pair of small brown stones. "This should darken as you get closer to her," he said. giving her one. "It's not as accurate as it could be, but it will do for this."

"All right," she said, taking it from him. "So I'll take the left side of the bar, and you take the right?"

"That sounds good," he said, and pushed off, heading towards the door of the bar.

Kelly smiled a bit, and started towards the back. She kept her eye on the stone as she pushed through the crowd. It twitched a bit, the color fluttering as she walked around the bar, picking up a drink in the process.

Occasionally she cast a glance at Henry, flirting with him across the room. She enjoyed it, and enjoyed him as a boyfriend.

She came to a stop near the back corner, and rubbed her eyes. They were starting to itch, like she had a sneeze trapped behind them, trying to get out.

It was then that she felt something, like a drop of cold water falling down the back of her top. She shivered, and glanced down at the stone in her hand.

The polished surface was black as night.

She pocketed the stone, and glanced around, trying to catch Henry's attention, while at the same time trying to decide which of the three women within arm's reach was the demon.

He caught her look, and started to edge his way over towards her, as she took in the women. The first one was tall, good looking, with long red hair that fell almost to her rear. She was wearing a slinky blue dress that hugged her figure, while at the same time was so tight that it made her look fat. She was chatting with an older man in a business suit who looked a bit flustered at the attention.

The second one wasn't as pretty, but made up for it with an overly ample chest, trapped in a low cut blouse that was sheer enough to show her bra. Only her cleavage was keeping the attention of the guy who was staring down into it.

Lastly was a small mouse of a lady, cute but not pretty, with a slim figure. Her short blond hair hung around her shoulders, framing her bright face and green eyes. The only thing she wore in addition to her simple blouse and skirt was a pair of dainty glasses that framed her face. She was currently talking to a young man, about her age, who had a smile on his face and a drink in his hand. They were chatting about a recent movie, and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

She glanced over at Kelly, and smiled a bit. It was a simple, warm smile that sent a shiver down her spine.

Taking a step back, she was pleased to feel Henry's hand come to rest on the side of her arm.

"That's her," she said, pointing towards the mouse.

Henry blinked, "Are you sure? I would have thought it was her," he said, motioning towards the redhead.

"Of course you would," she said with a slight smile, "but I'm sure it's the blond."

He nodded, glancing at his own stone, nestled in the palm of his hand. He took a step closer to the blond and frowned a bit as the stone darkened.

Kelly rubbed her eyes again, watching him closely as he stepped back from her. "You're right," he nodded. "It is her. That's a good call, now we have to stop her before she kills her date."

"How do we do that? Go arrest her?"

He shook his head, "It's not as simple as that, but we have to do something."

"What do you suggest?"

He paused for a moment, glancing between Kelly and the demon. "We have to get him away from her, and I think I know how." He dug into the pockets of his jacket, fishing about through them before he pulled out a small hard candy.

"Here we go," he said, making a fist. She could hear the candy crack under his fingers. He flexed his fist a couple of times, then unfolded his fingers. The candy had been reduced to a small handful of blue powder.

He place the stone in the powder, and cupped his other hand over it. He held it like that for a moment, whispering to himself.

"What are you doing?" she asked, keeping half her attention on the demon and her date. They were both laughing about something, but she didn't quite catch what it was.

Henry smiled and picked the stone out of the now light pink powder. Putting the stone in his pocket, he lifted his hand, and blew the powder towards the succubus and her date.

The man paused abruptly, shaking his head, and blinking like he was trying to get some dust out of his eyes. His focus returned to his date, and he frowned, then stuttered out a few quick words. Then he picked up his things, and hurried out of the bar.

The blond frowned darkly, her eyes growing angry as she watched him go, before they tracked back around and locked onto Henry.

"O-Saukie," she said, crossing her legs, and glaring at the young man.

He puffed up slightly, crossing his arms, and slipping his hands into his jacket. "I see you recognize me," he replied with a smirk.

"It's hard not to," she said, rising from her stool, and taking a step toward them. Fire was glowing darkly in her eyes. "Your stench is fouling the whole bar."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have come here?" he suggested.

She slowly smiled, showing a set of surprisingly sharp teeth. "You should have shot me when you first saw me."

He shrugged, "I have to ask you something first."

"You won't have the chance," she said, picking up her drink, and sipping at it.

"I think we have time, and it's not that difficult a question."

She laughed, and shook her head, then in one swift move, she snapped her hand and threw the drink at him. It splashed into Henry's eyes, causing him to jump back, crashing into the table behind him.

He twisted, and fell, taking the table, and more drinks with him. The succubus swiftly turned and started to move through the crowd towards the door.

Kelly started after her, but she moved fast, cutting easily through the people. People which blocked Kelly's own way as she tried to push through them.

By the time she got to the door, the demon had vanished into the night.

A moment later Henry came out, being escorted by a large bouncer who shoved him outside. His face and shoulders were drenched from the drinks, and a frown furrowed his face.

"She won't hunt anyone else tonight," he said with a sigh, pushing his damp hair off his forehead.

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"I put an anti-glamor spell on her, that's why her date ran off. He saw her for what she really was." He smiled a bit. "It will take all night for her to get it completely off. That gives us time to prepare for tomorrow."

"So what do we do now?"

He sighed, shrugging off his wet jacket. "You have to work tomorrow, so that will give me some time to prepare. For now, we need to get back to the boarding house."

"Prepare how?" she asked, walking towards her car. She fished her keys out of her handbag as her heels clicked over the pavement. She felt an energy starting to burn inside of her, building slowly as she approached the car.

"I have a feel for her now," he replied, using the dry parts of his jacket to try and wipe the drinks from his face. "My next tracking spell will be accurate enough that we won't have to go bar hopping. We'll go right to where she is."

She nodded, sliding behind the wheel of her car. "She knows we're looking for her she'll probably be prepared."

"They always try to be," he replied, dropping into the passenger side of the car. "It won't be easy for her, she'll also be trying to catch some more prey."

She nodded again, pulling out of the bar's parking lot, and onto the road.

"Of course," Henry mused, "she might decide that you or I would be worthwhile prey. We'll have to keep an eye out for that."

"Me?" she asked, with some disbelief.

He chuckled and nodded. "She can make herself just as attractive to a women as to a man. It would be hard to make someone like you interested in her, as you don't have any interest in the same sex, but she still might try."

For a moment, Kelly debated mentioning some of the things she did during her three years of collage, but decided that this wasn't the time or the place.

"Will she look the same?" she asked, feeling a warm glow starting to settle over her body, as she glanced at Henry.

"She might," he replied with a shrug. "She didn't feed tonight, so she might not have enough power to change form. I'll prepare a ward for us both, so she can't try and seduce us."

"That's good to know," she said, as she drove along. They slipped into silence for the rest of the drive. Each occasionally glanced at the other across the empty space of the car.

Half an hour later, when she pulled into the driveway of the boarding house, she was eager to have some fun. Taking an exaggerated sniff of the air, she smiled at Henry. "You smell like liquor, Hon," she said with a smile. "We had better get you up and into the shower before someone notices."

He laughed, and smiled back at her, slipping out of the car. "Are you volunteering to wash my back?" he asked with a wink as he closed the door.

"Maybe," she replied, closing the car door, and licking her lips as she looked him over.

He noticed the slightly predatory look in her eyes, and shook his head, holding his hands up in protest. "I think we should hold off. A succubus' magic can have effects on those around them."

"Such as?" she asked, walking around the car, tucking her keys away. Her eyes tracked over the way his wet shirt clung to his nicely built chest.

"As in lust, a lot of it," he said, biting his lip, taking a step back.

She laughed softly, brushing her hand over her hair, and smiling at her boyfriend. "Don't worry, Henry, this is all me."

He shook his head, taking another step back as she came upon him. Wrapping her fingers around his wrists, she lifted his hands until they cupped her breasts.

"How can we know for sure, Hon," he said, looking at her with an intensity she hadn't seen before. She could see his own lust dancing behind his eyes, and elsewhere, yet he was holding it back. "If we do this, we'll wonder if this was natural or not for the whole time we're together."

Kelly paused, looking at him, a dark frown spreading over her face. "But..." she started to protest.

"No," he said in a gentle voice. Slipping his hands out of her relaxed fingers, he took a step away from her. "We'll regret this if we do it, and it will haunt us. If we do nothing, then nothing can happen."

Her frown deepened, but finally she nodded. "You're right," she said, fighting back the sexual energy that was threatening to take over her whole body. "Go take a cold shower before anyone sees you. I'm going to try and get some sleep."

Henry nodded, leaning forward slightly to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you, Kelly," he whispered, before turning on the gravel of the driveway, and rushing towards the front door of the boarding house.

She stood there, under the moonlight, watching him go, wondering why she felt like a tiger who had just let her prey slip through her claws.

* * *

Kelly felt miserable the next morning, tired and achy, her whole body protesting. She had spent a good part of the night staring up at the ceiling, thinking about Henry, and what she wanted to do to him.

He had been right. Staying away from each other had been the best course of action, and one that she wasn't regretting. There would be other chances to get him in bed again, and she thought it would be a nice change to not have any magic involved!

Still, it was a difficult decision to call in sick, even if she could barely pull herself out of bed. Her work ethic made it almost impossible to shrug off work for anything less than a case of SARS. This was one of the few times where it seemed necessary.

After sleeping in till noon, and a long, hot shower, she was starting to feel a lot more like herself. She pulled on a loose T-shirt, and a pair of old comfortable jeans. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she declared herself fit for the world.

She slipped out of her room, and walked down the hall to Henry's, giving the door a few quick raps with the back of her fingers.

A few seconds passed before it opened a crack, and he glanced out at her. Swinging the door the rest of the way open, he smiled at her. "I thought you were at work?" he asked.

"I didn't feel up to it this morning," she replied, slipping past him, and into his room. "I'm sorry about last night. You were right, we would have regretted it."

He nodded, closing the door. "I'm sorry I didn't anticipate it," he said with a shake of his head. "That's not a mistake I'm making tonight."

"That's good," she said with a smile, walking up to him and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. "And just so you know, I love you too."

He broke into a blush and kissed her back, before slipping away towards his dresser. On the top he had a few bowls sitting out, filled with various clear liquids, bubbling a bit, and giving off a thick gas that sank to the floor.

"What's all this?" she asked.

He smiled. "Oh the usual. I'm prepping an extra clip, just to be safe, and working on a better tracking spell." He motioned to the bowls as he spoke. In one she could see bullets for his gun. In a second, smaller, bowl was something that looked like pine needles.

"When will it be ready?"

"Eager to catch her?" he asked with a smile.

She shifted uncomfortably, and nodded.

"So am I," came his reply as he stirred one of the other bowls.

"What's this?" Kelly asked, looking over his shoulder, and down into the bowl. Inside sat the pair of stones from the night before, sitting under water. Dark currents of red swirled around them, slowly being drawn in closer, before being absorbed into the stones themselves.

"Our protection," he replied. "It will let us see her no matter what she tries to hide as, and will keep her influence away from us."

"So we just hold onto them?" she asked, resting her hand on his shoulder.

He nodded, "Well, close to that. I was planning to pick up some simple mounts for them. Less chance of dropping them if they're hanging round our necks instead of in our hands."

"I suppose."

Henry smiled, and turned around to face her. He ran his fingers up her arms, over her shoulder, and down her back. Sliding closer, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a hug. When they were nose to nose, he leaned in and kissed her.

"We have time to kill. Anything you want to do?" he asked as he pulled away from the kiss.

She smiled, "I'm not sure, Hon. We have a few hours before the succubus will come out and play. Maybe we should go and have lunch."

He laughed. "There's this nice place downtown that I've been meaning to visit, it's suppose to make great chicken."

"You never go downtown without a reason," she said, gently poking him in the chest with her finger. "What is it?"

"You know me too well," he replied, grasping her hand and pulled her closer to him. "There's a small magic shop a few blocks away. I've been meaning to visit it for some time, and they might have something that could come in handy for tonight."

"All right, but I'm driving," she said, slipping out of his grasp, and backing towards the door.

"Of course," he replied, rolling his shoulders, as he followed her, "You're better at it than I am."

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place?" Kelly asked as she pulled in front of a dilapidated warehouse.

Henry nodded, leaning forward in his seat, straining his eyes to see something. "Yep, she's inside there, definitely."

"It looks like a trap," she said, slowly driving around the building.

"You may be right," he answered, then squinted slightly, noticing a small crowd around one door. "Or maybe it's a rave?"

"A rave? I think we're over-dressed."

He glanced at her, looking over her dress. It was a long, slinky number, black as night, that contrasted with her chocolate skin. It fit her snugly, and accented every curve of her body.

Kelly had picked out his own clothing, so he wasn't wearing his familiar garb. Instead he had on a pair of nice slacks, a simple white shirt, and an old leather jacket she had produced from her closet. He thought it made him look silly; she thought it made him look cute.

Naturally, it was an argument she had won.

"Maybe," he commented as they pulled to a stop, "but we don't have much choice, we have to get in."

She nodded, turning off the car. "How do you plan to get in? Do you know some Jedi mind tricks?"

"Not quite," he said, slipping out into the parking lot, and fishing through his jacket pockets. "I do have some methods."

"I'll let you handle it then," she replied, her heels clicking on the pavement as she stepped out of the car. "I'm not comfortable leaving the car here; this isn't a good place."

"I got it handled," he said, walking over to her side of the car. "Is it locked up?"

The car flashed its headlights for a moment as she triggered the remote locks. "It is now," she said.

He smiled one of his all-knowing smile and said, "Good." He fished a small glass cube filled with something out of his pocket. Whatever was inside of it moved like it was alive, pressing at the edge of the glass.

"What is that?" she asked, feeling a bit revolted as she looked at it.

In lieu of an explanation, he just set it on top of the car, pushing it toward the center of the roof. The thing inside of the glass convulsed for a moment then settled down, pressing flat against the bottom of the cube.

Then, without even a flash, her car was gone.

Kelly jumped back with a soft yell, nearly tripping over her own feet. Henry was there to grasp her arm, holding her gently so she wouldn't fall.

"I picked this up at the shop," he said as she regained her feet. "I thought that it would be useful, but unlike our demon, this will only work when the sun is down."

"Did you happen to find anything that will help us look like them?" she asked, pointing at a group in their twenties. Covered in bright colors and glowing jewelry, they lit up the night as they walked past.

He grinned and nodded, taking her arm in his. "I have something that could help," he said, following the group towards the entrance.

Everyone in the parking lot seemed to stop and watch them pass. A few of the younger people shouted some thing, and a few of the guys who couldn't take their eyes off Kelly got smacked by their dates.

Still, no one stopped them when they came up to the large man standing by the door. He was dressed in a tight T-shirt that showed off his well-sculpted body.

"How much to get in?" Henry asked in a pleasant voice.

The bouncer looked them over, focusing on Kelly for a few seconds longer than Henry. "She can go in, for you, fifty bucks."

He shrugged and pulled out his wallet, unfolding a few bills. "Here you are," he said, offering it to him.

He looked down at the cash, and frowned. "We run a clean dance here, no drugs, got it?"

"I'm not here to deal. I'm just here with my girlfriend, to dance and to have some fun." He wrapped his arm around Kelly and pulled her close.

"Right," the large man replied with a snort and snagged the money out of Henry's hand. "We're going to keep an eye on you. If you're dealing, you'll be handed over to the cops."

"That's fair," he replied.

The bouncer stood to the side, and grunted, crossing his arms. "Go."

Henry nodded and they walked past, pushing through a set of doors and into the warehouse. The sound hit them like a wall, pushing them back as they walked into the crowd.

It was still early in the night; the crowd was thin, but growing. Everyone was out on the dance floor, moving in some rather provocative ways.

"Lovely party," she said as they walked arm in arm through the crowd, "and I want to see you dance."

He shot her a smile, and leaned in closer to hear her, smiling slightly. "If we have time, I would love to. I've always enjoyed dancing."

She smiled, "You're my first boyfriend who has," she replied, glancing around the large open room. She couldn't see the succubus, not yet, "Do you see her?"

"No," he replied, "She didn't get any power last night, so she probably can't shift forms, but I wouldn't count on it."

Kelly nodded, feeling the comforting weight of the protection stone as it hung between her breasts. It was starting to develop a slight chill, not uncomfortable, but noticeable.

"She's near, I can feel it," he said, pulling out the new tracking spell, the needles held inside a small glass vial.

"So can I," she replied, shivering. "The same plan as last night, we split up, see if we can find her?"

He shook his head. "Not this time, this will tell us exactly where she is," he said, holding the vial in the palm of his hand.

It seemed to move against his skin, wiggling forward on its own accord.

They followed it, moving easily through the crowd, most of whom didn't bother to notice them, or just pretended they didn't. The black-lights that hung above them made Henry's plain shirt glow on its own, but it didn't make him stand out.

"There she is," he said, lifting his hand.

Kelly nodded, spotting her easily, looking the same as she had the night before. Her glasses were glowing slightly, as were her eyes behind them. They didn't look right, the color was a brownish red mixed with greens and oranges.

"Look at her eyes," she said.

"You can see her as she really is," he explained, dropping the tracking spell back into his pocket. "Now we just have to deal with her."

"What do you plan?" she asked.

He glanced around, taking in the room. The demon hadn't seen them yet, but was instead focused on trying to lure in a young man dressed in a number of vivid colors.

"Flank her," he said and pointed. "Head that way, walk around by the wall, and stop a few feet behind her. Once you're there, I'll take her head on."

"Sounds good," she said, leaning forward and kissing him softly on his lips. "Keep your self safe."

"I will, Kelly," he replied and kissed her back.

She slipped out of his grasp, and started her trip around the room as the beat of the music changed to something hard and heavy, the bass echoing though the floor and up her legs.

Her eyes were on the demon the whole time, focusing on her as she walked through the crowd.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Henry watching her, and the succubus. He was trying to blend in, but wasn't quite able to manage it.

Kelly moved to the back wall, and slowly walked along it, moving closer to her target.

She came to a stop ten feet behind the demon, and tried to look relaxed as she leaned up against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest.

Henry took a deep breath, and slipped his hand conspicuously into his pocket as he walked towards the demon. When they were only a few feet apart, she finally noticed him, glancing away from the guy she was talking to, and towards Henry.

The guy blinked, and shook his head, glancing between Henry and the demon. "Shit," he mouthed, seeing the looks they gave each other, and quickly slipped away.

She turned to stare at Henry, a small hiss escaping from her lips. "You again," she spat angrily, glaring at him.

"Yes, me," he replied.

Kelly was a glad for the slight lull in the music, that allowed her to just barely hear the conversation. She took two steps forward, closing the distance between them.

"I never got a chance to ask my question last night, I would like to pose it to you now," he said. She could see the outline of his gun inside of his pocket.

The demon snorted. "I don't think so," she replied, and started to turn around.

Kelly moved in quickly, and stopped her with one firm hand on her shoulder. "I think you'll let him ask the question."

The demon scowled at her, and snorted again. She could see fire glowing in her eyes, reflecting off the glasses. "Very well," she said, biting out the words.

Henry nodded, and leaned in close, the gun in his pocket pressed up against her chest. He whispered into her slightly pointed ear.

The demon paused, and laughed. "No, O-Saukie, I know of no such weapon."

"A pity," he replied. "That could have saved your life."

She smiled and leaned in closer, "But it won't save yours."

Then with a sudden move, she slammed her head forward into Henry's, breaking her glasses, and sending him stumbling back. Then she twisted out of Kelly's grasp and pushed past them both.

"Shit," he said. There was a cut across his forehead from the frame of her glasses, which was slowly seeping blood.

Kelly took his arm, and pulled him across the dance floor after the demon. In the short time they had been there, the crowd had grown considerably thicker, slowing all three of them down.

"I need a clear shot," he said as they pushed through the people in the succubus' wake.

She nodded. "The gun won't work, it will attract too much attention."

"Right, right," he replied, reaching into the inside of his jacket. "I brought my crossbow, so if I can get near enough to her, I can kill her."

"Crossbow?" she asked, starting to gain on the demon as she headed for the back of the warehouse.

He nodded, keeping up with her now, still holding his head. "It's the traditional weapon of my order, but I prefer the gun, it's a bit easier to use."

"Not here," she said, angling herself towards the door on the wall. It was the only way out in that direction, and the demon apparently hadn't noticed it yet.

"I don't want to pull it out in here," he said. "It might cause a panic."

"Wait till we're outside. There's only one way she can go. I'll send her in your direction, and you meet her outside the door.

He nodded, "Sounds good," and pushed away from her, forcing his way through the crowd towards the door.

Kelly put some more spring in her step, trying to catch up with the demon as the stone around her neck took on a sudden, strong chill.

All the people around the demon suddenly parted like the Red Sea, leaving her a clear path towards the back wall, at the same time giving Kelly a direct path towards her.

She put on a burst of speed, running hard across the cement, and moving faster than the succubus. With a single move, she grabbed onto her shirt, and pulled the creature to a stop.

It let out an angry roar that mingled into the music as she spun around, her hands lifted to strike. With a flair of pain, something that felt like a frozen knife stabbed into Kelly's chest, as the demon's magic crashed into her.

With a grunt and a yell, Kelly brought her fist back and swung hard, hitting the bitch squarely in the jaw and sending her tumbling to the floor.

Still no one noticed them, even when the demon crashed into a group of people.

She pulled herself to her feet, and spat out a mouthful of orange blood, before turning and running hard towards the door.

Kelly followed, moving swiftly, but keeping just a few steps behind the demon as she reached the door. With a shove she sent it swinging open and ran into the night air.

She only took a step before coming to a halt, letting out a gasp and reaching for her chest.

Standing outside the door, crossbow in hand, was Henry, a hard look on his blood-covered face. He watched as the succubus collapsed, falling to her knees and letting out a gasp. The color of her skin grew lighter; light shown through her flesh as she slowly faded away, her clothing falling to the ground where she once stood.

Kelly took a step outside, letting the door swing shut behind her. "She's gone," she said.

"Yep," he replied, wiping away some of the drying blood, from his forehead, kicking at the clothing. There was something in them that seemed to catch his eye. Putting his crossbow away, he bent down, and fished through the pile. "Now what's this?" he asked himself as he stood up, a simple silver ring held between his fingers.

"It's magic," he said, answering his own question. "I'm not sure what kind. I'll have to look into it."

She nodded, walking over to him and taking the ring from his fingers. "First thing we'll do is get you to a clinic. You're going to need stitches for that cut."

"Oh?" he asked. He reached up to touch it, wincing as his fingers brushed the wound. "I guess you're right; after that we should head home."

"You still owe me a dance," she said, wrapping an arm around his waist. Together they started walking towards where she thought she had left her car.

He smiled, "Of course, and I can't wait until I can dance with you," he said, leaning his head against her shoulders as they walked across the parking lot, and into the night.

This story is copyright 2003 by Fox Cutter , hardcopy reprints limited to one per person, all other rights reserved. This story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.

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