Page 64 of Darkness

“Just wondering.” Reading over the material Leary gave him, Morrisey had wondered about Jessa.

“I’ve never actually gotten to know one on this plane, though I believe I spotted a succuba at a bar the other night, but I’ve seen the results.”

“What?” Who had Farren seen in the bar? Had he been one of the agents tailing Morrisey?

Muscles in Farren’s jaw flexed. “Several years back, a pimp hired someone to bring succuba into the bodies of attractive young women, forcing them to work for him.”

A sex demon in a sex worker? Sounded like the plot of a B horror movie crossed with be careful what you wish for. “What happened?” Morrisey could only imagine. Maybe he really didn’t want to know. His dreams were bothersome enough as they were, apart from the ones involving Farren.

“Not to mince words, but”–-Farren paused before continuing—"they grew tired of being ordered around and… umm… fucked him to death.”

“Fucked him to death?” As a younger man flooded with hormones, Morrisey and a friend made a bet on how many times they could get off in a day. The last time? Ow! But to go through an orgy and be unable to stop? He shuddered.

“Yes. While in human bodies, succuba inspire lust, especially when you get a group of them together. By the way, they aren’t team players. They normally hunt alone, which improves a victim’s chance of survival.”

“What happened to the sex workers?”

“The cops couldn’t charge them because they didn’t know what happened. I only read the case files later. By then, the succuba and their hosts were gone.”

“Do succuba often take unwilling hosts?”

“In that case, yes, they didn’t have a choice. As I said, I haven’t known any personally, so I can’t say for sure. They feed on emotions, which requires a body.”

“What about in your realm?”

“In Domus, they provide a necessary service. They’re revered.” Farren added, “I never took advantage of those services. I had a partner.”

Which brought images to mind best not dwelled upon in public. “But there they lived on whatever was in the air and not emotion, right?”

“The ether carried a similar energy, so no, they didn’t drain their clients.”

Former realm. Morrisey must remember that. How much could he say without divulging his conversations with Jessa? He felt honor bound to keep his word, at least until she gave him a reason not to, which she hadn’t yet. “We keep track of all known entities who’ve crossed over, right?”

“Those we know of. I’m sure there’s so many more we don’t know about.”

Not very reassuring words. “Do we keep a check on them beyond just their locations?”

“We monitor the ones we need to.”

“The rest?”

“Do human cops monitor law-abiding citizens?”

No. This lent credibility to Jessa’s anxieties about friends disappearing. “Could someone be using them?”

Farren stopped at a traffic signal, whipping his head toward Morrisey, brows furrowed. "What are you implying?"

"If you're not checking on them, how can you be certain they're still alive and well?"

“Are you suggesting wellness checks?”

Morrisey shrugged, adding extra motion to turn the gesture into a stretch. “Wouldn’t hurt to drop in on them. Let them know we’re here if they need us. And to ensure they haven’t gone over to the dark side.”

Farren emitted a soft whistle and accelerated when the traffic light switched to green. “You’re talking about one hell of a lot of people.”

“Don’t they have community leaders? You know, the wise old granny everyone goes to for advice.” Or others who took on the role for the good of all—like Jessa.

If she told the truth.

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