Page 17 of The Succubi's Choice

Lundy nods, his brow furrowed. “I don’t doubt that the host is decent, demons don’t pick the worst person around to possess.”

“He was a mess,” Miri says, scuffing her feet on the gravel on the sidewalk. “He was a mess and he could tell I was charming him, but he couldn’t resist it. Are we sure it’s...”

“Are we sure it’s that bad, is that what you’re asking?” Lundy looks at her, sideways, and she can see the thoughts churning in his head. “The brass seems to think it is. They’re scared.”

Someone walks past them, and they fall silent, waiting for the person to pass.

“Is this...some sort of punishment for the demigod thing?” She asks, once the person is out of earshot. “Cause I really shouldn’t be on the hook for that.”

He’s already shaking his head no before she completes the sentence. “It’s entirely because you’re a pretty young girl around the host’s age,” he says, blunt.

“Cool. Cool.” A breeze ruffles her hair as she tries to swallow that one. “I really don’t want to be involved in another world-ending conspiracy here.”

“I don’t want that paperwork either.” She can’t tell if he’s attempting a joke or not. “But deflecting Katya from him is great help.” Fatherly, he grips her shoulder. “Write up a very detailed report for me, as many exact phrases as you can remember, and then you should be done with it.”

With that he nods, then strides away. She squints after him for a few seconds, before shrugging and going back inside.

Inside Gabriel’s drinking tea and waiting for her with raised eyebrows. “So what’s up?” He asks, his voice strangled.

For a few seconds, she debates just telling him everything.

“I mean, not telling Katya something? On purpose?” His face creases, as if it's literally unthinkable. “That’s gotta be an ethical violation of some sort.”

She flops on the couch, kicking her purse out of the way. “There’s definitely ethical violations in this,” she says, staring up at the popcorn ceiling. “I just can’t...really describe them to you.”

She can tell without looking at him that his brows are furrowing. “And you’re okay with these?”

“Not really,” she says. “But it’s a weird top-secret thing that is...bad.” It sounds so lame she winces. “Mostly it was just...I had to charm someone to find out information and then just not let Katya know. That’s it. That’s my part of it.”

“Well, as long as no one gets hurt?” He says, before obviously attempting to shrug it off. “So, Friday night?”

“Friday night.”

* * *

Lundy’s minivanis idling outside their apartment when they pull up after her very first Friday night hunting, and Gabriel gives her a blank faced stare as she sighs. “Did you...do anything?” He asks.

They stare at the minivan together, sitting in the car.

“Not that I know of?” Out of instinct, she checks her phone. Nothing.

“And you’re just gonna have to go see what he wants?”

“I mean, pretty much.” She swings out of the car, giving Gabriel a little wave, before just climbing right into Lundy’s car. After a beat, she sweeps the Cheerios crumbs off and plops herself down.

He gives her the look, the look she calls the disapproving dad, as soon as she closes the door.

“Hello, Lundy, the new schedule is wonderful, I feel so recharged,” Miri says, brightly fake. “What’s new with you?”

He sighs, and pulls away from the curb, and Miri locks eyes with Gabriel through the tinted windows.

It’s silent, creepily so, for far too long, and the dread starts to creep up on her, starting with her feet going numb, to prickles of sensation up and down her legs, until the pit of her stomach feels like it’s going to drop out of her body.

Still on the 101, she turns to him, her clothing squeaking uncomfortably on the car upholstery. “Lundy,” she asks again gently. “What’s going on?”

He doesn’t look at her. “Something happened.”

* * *

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