Succubus Revealed Chapter 13

roman print was impossible to live with after that. He refused to tell me any more details, n eertheless that stage set needed to undergo hypnosis and that more would be revealed once that happened. but dont you speculate I should cut now? I demanded, for what felt like the hundredth clock the following day.I dont desire to wreak either of you, came the response. Just in case Im wrong.I thought you tell youd figured it stunned Youre construction now that in that respects a chance you top executive be wrong?Theres always a chance, he verbalise pragmatic on the wholey. But I dont signify Im wrong.And with that infuriating response, thither was zip fastener I could do except deferment and speculate. I couldnt figure out what exactly papist planned on doing with hypnosis, moreover at least(prenominal) it seemed relatively safe. I wouldnt oblige put it olden papistical to study, Lets stage a trap for most demons and use lot as bait. There were worse things than b eing hyp nonized into clucking like a chicken, I speculate.It to a faultk a number of days to get an answer. The delay came from finding a time when both readiness and Hugh were available. Despite his many formidable skills, hypnosis app arntly wasnt in Romans repertoire. It was, however, in Hughs, which I found kind of surprising. When I asked him intimately it, he explained that hed once been at a medical conference, during which percenticipants were required to take a certain(p) number of seminars. Hed chosen hypnosis because he thought it would be a blow- gain class.It was actually harder than it seemed, he remarked. I did round more follow-up on it after the conference. Dabbled here and there. Havent put it to much use since because, divagation from an ill-fated date last year.argon you going to be able to do what Roman call for you to today?I nodded toward my living room, where Roman was pacing like a caged animal. We were all waiting on Seth to show up, and Roman kep t obsessing oer small details necessary to create the sodding(a) hypnotic environment. He was constantly ad buting the lighting and moving the recliner. Somemultiplication hed put it in the center of the room. former(a) times, hed drag it to the side, where there were more shadows. Wed given up on trying to advise him. He was in any case irritable and wound up.Hugh let downed, watching Roman. I dont know. What he asked me to do . . . well, its middling basic, as far as technique goes. Its what he wants me to do with it thats kind of wacky. Ive establish up on it a little this week, and layaboutdidly . . . I dont know if its going to work.I still didnt know what it was and had resigned myself to patience. Seth arrived shortly thereafter, mood vivid and optimistic. Andreas improvement after Carters visit had been remarkable, and it was affecting everyone in the household. I crossed my fingers every day that funny house wouldnt send soul underpin to undo what Carter had done . Seth gave me a half hug and kissed me on the lips, a advance sign of his good mood since he was usually so reserved in motility of some others.You missed a good time, he told me. He was wearing a Princess Bride shirt today. I took Kendall and the check Christmas shopping. They got Ian some used copies of The Metamorphosis and backsidedide.Hes into those? I asked. I mean, theyre great books, but I just never thought of them as his thing.Well, they arent mainstream best sellers like some peoples sellout books so hes into the elitist appeal. He likes to go to coffee shops composite ones that youve never been to, naturally and pretend to read counterculture literature. Hell be glad to have the stark naked material.Seths amusement weaken as he took in the living room, with all its drawn shades and Roman carefully system the recliner (again). noticing our attention, Roman paused and glanced between the three of us. I wasnt sure what background noise would work best, so I l oaded a a few(prenominal) different things onto my iPod. Ive got ocean waves, wind chimes, and livid noise.Hugh shrugged. Makes no leaving to me. Im not the one being hypnotized.Im still not sure I can be hypnotized, express Seth. But if it doesnt matter . . . hmm, are there seagulls with the ocean waves?Yes, verbalise Roman. accordingly lets go white noise.Roman obligingly started it up, filling the room with what sounded more like faulty radio reception than soothe torpid sounds. Maybe you should keep it at a low volume, I suggested delicately. You know, you dont want it to be so soothing that Seth falls asleep.Roman looked dubious, but at a nod from Seth, the volume decreased. I might not understand how hypnotizing Seth was going to play into Hells greater plans, but so long as Roman believed it was necessary, Seth got to call the shots. Seth gave me a quick hand squeeze and a make a face that was meant to be reassuring. He didnt like immortal affairs but had accepted thi s crazy venture for me. quest Romans direction, Seth settled himself into the recliner and eased it back. Hugh pulled up a stool near Seth, but Roman and I sat on the periphery of the living room. Hypnosis required a minimum of distractions, which we netly were. Id even had to lock the cats up in my bedroom earlier, to make sure Aubrey and Godiva didnt decide to jump on Seths drub mid-session.Okay, verbalise Hugh, after clearing his throat. argon you ready? He took out a small notepad, fill with his illegible writing. It was the most low-tech thing Id seen him use in a while.Ready as Ill ever be, verbalize Seth.Hugh glanced at Roman and me briefly, perhaps in case we had a last-minute change of heart, and and so returned to the notepad. Okay, close your eyeball and take a deep breath. . . .I was familiar with some of the basics of hypnosis, and the exercises that Hugh began with were pretty standard. Although Seth had been joking, I too honestly wondered if he could be hypnot ized. Part of his nature as a writer was to focus on all the details of the world, making it difficult to hone in on one thing sometimes. Of course, he could also show single-mindedness for his work, and that was the attribute that soon came out. After a few minutes of guided breathing, it became clear that Seth was definitely growing more and more relaxed. I some thought hed actually fallen asleep, until Hugh began asking him questions. Seth responded, look closed, voice perfectly steady.I want you to go back, give tongue to Hugh. Back in your memories. Go past your thirties, into your twenties. From there, think about your college years. Then amply school. He allowed a pause. Are you thinking about high school?Yes, said Seth.Okay. Go elevate back in time, back to middle school. Then elementary school. Can you commemorate a time before past? Before you started school?There was a slight delay before Seth verbalise. Then Yes.What is your earliest memory?In a boat, with my fat her and Terry. Were on a lake.What are they doing?Fishing.What are you doing?Watching. Sometimes I get to help hold a pole. But mostly I just watch.I felt a knot form in my stomach. I didnt fully understand Romans system here, but there was something terribly personal and vulnerable about what we were doing, listening to these memories. Seth rarely spoke of his father, who had passed away when Seth was in his early teens, and it seemed wrong to make him do it in this give in.Go back even further. Can you remember anything before that? Any earlier memories? asked Hugh. He seemed uneasy, a sharp distinguish to Seths utter calmness. No. Try, said Hugh. Try to go back further.I . . . Im in a kitchen. The kitchen at our first house, in a high chair. My moms feeding me, and Terrys walking through the door. He runs to her and hugs her. Hes been gone all day, and I dont understand where hes been.School, if I had to guess. I tried to put an age on this memory, using what I knew of the age difference between the brothers. How long did kids stay in high chairs? And how young would he have to be to not understand the concept of school? Three? Two?Thats great, said Hugh. Thats really great. at present keep going even more. Go back to something even earlier.I frowned, thinking they were kind of thrust it now. I was no expert in human memory, but I thought Id once read about how two was the age when memories really began forming. Seth seemed to struggle with this as well, frowning despite his other calm exterior.Okay, he said. Ive got one.Where are you? said Hugh.I dont know.What do you see?My mothers face.Anything else?No. Thats all I remember of that.Thats okay, said Hugh. Now find something else before that. Any memory. Any image or sensation.Theres nothing, said Seth.Try, said Hugh, not looking nearly as confident as he sounded. It doesnt matter how unclear it is. Anything you can remember. Anything at all.I . . . theres nothing, said Seth, the frown deepening. I cant remember anything before that.Try, repeated Hugh. Go further back.This was getting ridiculous. I opened my mouth to protest, but Roman caught hold of my arm, silencing me. I glared at him, hoping I could convey all my foilings at what they were doing to Seth in one look. Roman simply move his head and mouthed Wait.I remember . . . I remember faces. Faces looking at me. Everyones so much larger than me. But theyre mostly shadows and light. I cant see . . . cant comprehend much detail. Seth paused. Thats it. Thats all there is.Youre doing good, said Hugh. Youre doing great. Just listen to the sound of my voice, and keep breathing. We need to go back even earlier. What do you remember before that? Before the faces?Nothing, said Seth. Theres nothing there. Just blackness.Roman shifted in his chair, going rigid. He leaned forward, eyes bright and excited. Hugh glanced over questioningly, and Roman gave an eager nod. Swallowing, Hugh turned back to Seth.I need you . . . to go past the blackness. Go to the other side of it.I cant, said Seth. Its a wall. I cant cross it.You can, said Hugh. get wind to my voice. Im telling you, you can. charge up back in your memories, past the memories of this sprightliness, to the other side of the blackness. You can do it.I . . . I cant Seth cut himself off. For a moment, there was no other sound save the white noise on Romans iPod, though it was a wonder I couldnt hear the pounding of my own heart. The frown that had been intensifying on Seths face abruptly smoothed out. Im there.Hugh shifted awkwardly, disbelief registering on his face. You are? What are you doing? Where are you?I . . . The frown returned, but it was different in nature. It was distress from the memory itself, not the effort. Im bleeding. In an alley.Are you . . . are you Seth Mortensen? Hughs voice was a whisper. No. Whats your name?Luc. The frown smoothed again. And now Im dead.Go back to the alley, said Hugh, regaining his courage. Before you . . . before, um, Luc died. How did it happen? Why were you bleeding?I was stabbed, said Seth. I was trying to defend a muliebrity. A muliebrity I loved. She said we couldnt be together, but I know she didnt mean it. Even if she didnt, I still wouldve died for her. I had to protect her.It was about that point that I stopped breathing.Where are you? Hugh reconsidered his question. Do you know the year?Its 1942. I live in Paris.Roman r from for each one oneed across me to a stray catalog on a chair. Producing a pen, he scrawled something on the catalogs cover and then handed it to Hugh. Hugh read it and then gently bulge outd it on the floor.Tell me about the adult female, he said to Seth. Whats her name?Her name is Suzette.Someone let out a strangled gasp. Me. I stood up then, and Roman jerked me back down. A million protests sprang to my lips, and he actually had the audacity to clamp a hand over my mouth. He shook his head sharply and hissed in my ear, Listen.Listen? Listen? He had no vagary what he was asking. He had no idea what he was hearing. For that matter, I wasnt sure either. All I knew was that there was no way this could be happening. Much like the night Id gotten into bed with Ian, I had the surreal timbre that the only way any of this could be real was if Id accidentally stumbled into someone elses life.Tell me about Suzette, said Hugh.She has blond hair and blue eyes, said Seth levelly. She moves like music, but none of the music I make can compare to her. Shes so beautiful . . . but so cruel. Not that I think she means to be. I think she believes shes helping.Go back now, said Hugh. Back to your childhood, Seth I mean, Luc. Go back to your earliest memories as Luc. Are you there?Yes, said Seth.What do you see?My mothers funeral, though I dont understand it. She was sick.Okay. I need you to go back again, younger and younger, back until you hit more blackness. Can you do that? Can you find it again?Again, the rest of us held our breath, waiti ng for Seth to respond. Yes, he said.Hugh exhaled. Go to the other side of that blackness, back before Luc. You can cross it. You did it before.Yes. Im there.What is your name now?My name is Etienne. I live in Paris . . . but its a different Paris. An earlier Paris. There are no Germans here.What do you do for a living?Im an artist. I paint.Is there a woman in your life? Girlfriend? Wife?Theres a woman, but shes none of those. I pay to be with her. Shes a dancer named Josephine.I began to ascertain ill. The world was spinning, and I lowered my head, willing everything to settle back to its rightful order. I didnt need to hear Seth next describe Josephine. I couldve done it down to the last curl.Do you love her? Hugh asked Seth.Yes. But she doesnt love me back.What happens to her?I dont know. I ask her to marry me, but she says she wont. That she cant. She tells me to find someone else, but there is no one else. How can there be?Hugh had no answer for that, but he had his rhythm no w. He kept repeating the pattern, pushing Seth back further and further through impossible memories, always crossing that black wall, always asking Seths name and location, where he was, and if there was a woman whod broken his heart.My name is Robert. I live in Philadelphia, the first of my family innate(p) in the New World. We run a newspaper, and I love a woman who works for us. Her name is Abigail, and I think she loves me too . . . but she disappears one night without a banter.My name is Niccol. Im an artist in Florence. Its 1497 . . . and theres this woman . . . this amazing woman. Her name is Bianca, but . . . she betrays me.My name is Andrew. Im a priest in southern England. Theres a woman named Cecily, but I cant allow myself to love her, not even when the plague takes me. . . .On and on it went, and with each step Hugh helped Seth take back, part of my heart broke. All of this was impossible. Seth couldnt have lived all these lives and times he was describing and not jus t because of the obvious problems of life and death as we knew them. Seth wasnt just describing his lives.He was describing mine.I had lived every one of these lives that Seth described. I had been Suzette, Josephine, Abigail, Bianca, Cecily . . . They were all identities Id assumed, people Id become when Hell had transferred me to new places over the centuries. I would reinvent myself, take on a new name, appearance, and vocation. For every one of my identities Seth mentioned, I had lived a dozen more. But the ones he talked about . . . the ones he claimed to know as well, they were the ones that stuck out to me. Because although Id had countless lovers, in countless places, there were a handful who had struck some part of my soul, a handful whom I had truly loved, despite the impossibility of our situations.And Seth was touching upon every one of them, checking them off like items on a grocery list. Only, he wasnt just talking about these men Id loved. He was talking about being t hem. Whereas I had created these lives, he was acting as though hed been born into them, born as these lovers Id had, only to die and be reborn again in some other place with me. . . .It was impossible.It was terrifying.And eventually, it stopped.Thats it, said Seth at last. I cant go back further.You know you can, said Hugh. Youve done it before. Are you at the blackness again?Yes . . . but its different than before. Its not like the others. Its more solid. Harder to cross. Impossible to cross.Not impossible, said Hugh. Youve already proven that. Cross back to the next life.I cant.The thing was, I was germ to agree with Seth. I didnt think there was anything else he could go back to, not if he was paralleling my lives. Id jumped frontward of him at one point and made some educated guesses on what he would say, and Id been right each time. I knew how many great loves Id had as a succubus, and there were none left. Before Seth, there had been eight.Push through, urged Hugh.I cant, said Seth. They wont let me. Im not supposed to remember.Remember what?That life. The first life.Why not?Its part of the passel. My mass. No, wait. Not mine. Hers, I think. Im not supposed to remember her. But how can I not?It was other of those rhetorical questions, and Hugh looked to Roman and me for help. The imp had been confident there for a while, once the lives began rolling off so easily, but this was something different. Seth wasnt making a lot of sense, not that this had all been particularly crystal clear so far. Roman made gestures that seemed to be both encouraging and impatient, with a general notion that Hugh should improvise.Whos this bargain with? asked Hugh.I . . . I dont know. Theyre just there, waiting for me in the blackness. After the first life. Im supposed to go on to the light, but I cant. Theres something missing. Im incomplete. My life has been incomplete . . . but I cant remember why. . . . Seth furrowed his brow, punishing with the effort of remember ing. I just know I cant move on. So they make a bargain.Whats the bargain?I cant remember.Yes, you can, said Hugh, surprisingly gentle. You were just talking about it.I dont remember the details.You said it was about you being incomplete. Something was missing.No . . . someone. My soul mate. Seths breathing, which had been so steady throughout all of this, grew a little shaky. Im supposed to go on with her, into the light. I can feel it. I wasnt supposed to live that life alone. I wasnt supposed to go to the light afterward alone. But shes not there. Shes not anywhere I can get to now. They say theyll give me a chance to find her, a chance to find her and remember. They say I can have ten lives to be with her again but that one is used up. Then I have to go with them forever.This life that you cant remember, prompted Hugh. You said its your first life, right? The one thats on the other side of this, uh, extra thick wall of blackness? The life they say youve already used?Yes, said Se th. Thats the first. The one Im supposed to forget.You can remember it, said Hugh. Youre already remembering parts of it, things you arent supposed to. Go to the other side of the blackness, before the bargain, before your death. What do you remember?Nothing.Do you remember a woman? Think about the bargain. The soul mate. Can you remember her?Seths silence stretched into eternity. I . . . yes. Kind of. I feel her absence, though I dont understand it at the time.Have you made it back yet? asked Hugh. To the first life?Yes.What is your name?Kyriakos.Do you know where you are? Where you live?I live south of Pafos.The name meant nothing to Hugh, but it meant everything to me. I began to slowly shake my head, and Roman gripped hold of my arm again. Im not sure what he was afraid Id do. It seemed to be an all-purpose attempt to keep me from interrupting the nightmare unfolding before me, either with word or movement. He neednt have worried. The rest of me was frozen.Do you know the year? asked Hugh.No, said Seth.What do you do? Hugh asked. Whats your job?Im a musician. Unofficially. Mostly I work for my father. Hes a merchant.Is there a woman in your life? No. You just said there was. Your soul mate.Seth considered. Yes . . . but shes not there. She was, and then she wasnt.If she was, then you must be able to remember her. Whats her name?He shook his head. I cant. Im not supposed to remember her.But you can. Youre already doing it. Tell me about her.I dont remember, said Seth, the faintest touch of frustration in his voice. I cant.Hugh tried a new tactic. How do you feel? How do you feel when you think of her?I feel . . . wonderful. Complete. Happier than I ever believed possible. And yet . . . at the same time, I feel despondency. I feel horrible. I want to die.Why? Why do you feel both happiness and despair?I dont know, said Seth. I dont remember.You do. You can remember.Roman, I breathed, finding my voice at last. Make this stop.He only shook his head, eyes rive ted on Seth. Romans entire body was filled with tension and eagerness, anxiously twist forward for the last pieces of info to fill out the theory hed put together.She . . . I loved her. She was my world. But she betrayed me. She betrayed me and tore my heart out.Her name, said Hugh, catching some of Romans excitement. What was her name?I cant remember, said Seth, shifting uncomfortably. Its too repellent. They made me forget. I want to forget.But you didnt, said Roman, suddenly standing up. You didnt forget it. What is it? What is the womans name?Seths eyes flew open, either because of his own inner turmoil or from Roman breaking the trance. Either way, the calm state of relaxation was gone. Raw emotions played over Seths features shock, sorrow, hate. And as he gazed around and reoriented himself to his surroundings, his eyes and all of those dark, terrible feelings focused on me.Letha, he gasped. Her name is Letha.