Page 57 of The Succubi's Choice

The soft pressing kiss to her forehead pops into her mind, and her guilty look must’ve given her away, for Lundy turns away and sighs.

“They’re not going to like that,” he warns, “did you sleep with him?”

An awkward cough from Gabriel.

“No, he just...was cuddly.” The ridiculousness of the statement shows clearly on everyone’s face. “He was treating me like a date, to confuse everyone around him. He was...flirty.”

Again, the exchanged glance between Katya and Lundy, and her head hurts so much.

* * *

Katya and Miripull into the parking lot of their work to see three figures standing in the doorway, two adult and one small child shape.

“Well, this’ll be a day,” Katya mutters. “You up for starting work?”

And Miri’s make up is only mostly washed off and her hair is stuffed back into a bun, but she shrugs with the despair that only a few hours of sleep can give. “Sure.”

She swings out of the car, blinking in the too bright sun and sheltering her eyes, and...

Somehow looking like he got a perfect amount of sleep, it’s the other male succubi. Grant. With, standing nervously behind him, the Brownie. Katya’s friend.

A child, with his tilted ears and hunched shoulders, hides behind his father. His eyes are wide, obviously inhuman but also...obviously childlike.

Katya makes a sound like she’s been punched, before she straightens her spine and strides forward. “Thaler?” She calls out, her voice perfectly friendly and professional. “Thaler, is that you?”

At the sound of her voice, the child ducks even further behind his father.

It’s rare to see Brownies out and about, with how obviously non-human they look. Miri meets the child’s eyes, and gives him a smile that she hopes is reassuring.

“Good morning, little sister,” Grant says, his voice rich, as if he finds something amusing. “I thought we would pay a visit.”

Katya stares at Thaler for a long moment, like she’s compelling him to say something, before she pulls out her keys and unlocks the door. “Come on in, we have comfy chairs,” she says, with a smile to the child, who pointedly does not smile back. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

After a glance up to Grant, Thaler and the child follow her in, leaving Miri standing awkwardly with the other succubi.

Who seems wholly unaffected by the late night.

“I did not expect to see you last night,” he says into the crisp air that’s too cold for both of them. “You don’t seem to know what you’re doing.”

“That’s for sure,” she says, before nodding at where Katya disappeared into her office. “You know who she is, right? Besides just...official?”

He hesitates, then nods. “I do now.”

“Great.” She scuffs her feet against the concrete, taking a long drink from the sugary coffee Katya got her in hopes that it’ll take away the lingering headache. “If you’re gonna hurt her, I will fight you.”

He grins at her, as if he finds her adorable. “I’ll win.”

“Yeah, but I’ll still fight.”

He hesitates, as if remembering something, then nods. “Understood.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, as if intent on waiting out whatever meeting is happening inside. “Thaler is very scared that Katya will judge him.”

“It’s her job to be pretty non-judgmental,” Miri shoots back. “She...she doesn’t judge. Doesn’t judge me, at least. In...everything.”

Another long look, the sort of look where she feels like he thinks she’s incredibly young and small. Like she needs protection, but he doesn’t say anything. Like he is just here for his friend, and just staying out here for privacy.

“How often are those...drinks meetings?” Miri asks, and winces at how small her voice sounds. “I mean, I don’t usually stay out that late, and I’m pretty tired...”

“Not common, especially since...” He shrugs, as if speaking about the demigod is borderline painful or uncomfortable. Instead of, you know, being someone who split the community and caused an untold number of deaths. “We didn’t, until your demon came around.”

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