forget about it, Cee,” he said through a mouth of popcorn.
“You need to be careful, Kee,” she scolded. “The more she touches ya, the harder it’ll be ta walk away. What if she comes back tonight?”
Keenan shrugged and counted the kernels on the top of the tub. “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out.”
“She’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
“She can kill you.”
“I know that too.”
Constance’s ample bosom rose and fell in a very audible capitulation. “All right, have it your own way. I looked up one of the old ones last night. He told me a little somethin’ about this one.”
Keenan put the popcorn on the table and brushed his hands. “Look, she’ll probably never show up again, Cee. I told you I’m all right. Quit hovering.”
She moved over to stand next to him and her face softened. “That’s what I’m here for, Kee.” Lifting a vaporous hand, she circled his face without touching him. “No matter what, ya need to know I’m here t’ protect you. Even when things don’t seem quite right. You understand me?”
Something in her face sent a strange premonition through his guts. “Sure, Cee.” But he wasn’t really sure if he did.
She stood straight, licked her plump lips, and squared her shoulders. “You need t’ hear what the old timer said.”
Keenan rested his neck against the back of the couch. Putting his legs up on the coffee table, he decided it was probably best to humor her. More Creole mumbo jumbo, he was sure. “All right.”
“Her name is Dabria. She was a lower angel of the nine choirs up ‘til ‘bout five hundred years ago. A Muse, some say. She was on earth to work with her mentor, Amos, one o’ the principalities.
“Princa…what?”
“Didn’t ya ever go to Sunday school, child? I swear what you don’t know would fill a library.” She clicked her tongue. “Seventh of the nine choirs assigned to guide humans.”
“Oh,” was all Keenan could manage, vaguely remembering something about the nine choirs. He’d look it up later.
“Anyway, while on earth, she fell in love with a human, an artist from Florence, name of Luciano Moretti. It was a trap set by one of the fallen, Azazel…”
“This is just Catholic horseshit, Cee. There’s no such thing as angels or demons…”
“There was no such thing as ghosts a few years ago, remember?”
That stopped him cold. She had a point. “Oh, yeah. Continue.”
“Thank you,” she said tossing her head. “Anyway, Azazel killed the man and enslaved Dabria, turning her into a succubus. She escaped the demon, but was bound to this Earth to live out her days as a creature that had to seduce men to survive.” Constance’s eyes dimmed for a moment. “I kind o’ feel sorry for the poor thing, truth be told. Weren’t her fault… love can be mighty powerful, even for angels.” There was a sadness in her eyes that Keenan had never seen before and it bothered him.
“You okay, Cee?”
She looked up and smiled. “Nothin’ t’ fret on, boy.” She moved to the other end of the couch and scanned the room. “Maybe you should leave, Kee.”
Keenan leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He didn’t want to leave. In fact, he hoped she would come back. It was tying his stomach in knots.
“I’m not leaving my house, Cee,” he said.
Constance glided to the other side of the room and turned her head to him. “Do what ya think is right, Kee. Once she’s here, we can’t be there for ya. Maybe ya can get through t’ her, maybe not. If ya try, remember she was an angel once who loved a man. There may be something left of her heart.” She shimmered in the light briefly then disappeared.
Chapter Six
A Haunting Refrain
What woke Keenan a few hours later was a hiss in his ear. He forced his eyes open and blinked at the nature show droning on the TV in his living room. After rubbing them, he focused on the myrtle wood clock hanging behind it. Midnight on the
“You need to be careful, Kee,” she scolded. “The more she touches ya, the harder it’ll be ta walk away. What if she comes back tonight?”
Keenan shrugged and counted the kernels on the top of the tub. “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out.”
“She’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
“She can kill you.”
“I know that too.”
Constance’s ample bosom rose and fell in a very audible capitulation. “All right, have it your own way. I looked up one of the old ones last night. He told me a little somethin’ about this one.”
Keenan put the popcorn on the table and brushed his hands. “Look, she’ll probably never show up again, Cee. I told you I’m all right. Quit hovering.”
She moved over to stand next to him and her face softened. “That’s what I’m here for, Kee.” Lifting a vaporous hand, she circled his face without touching him. “No matter what, ya need to know I’m here t’ protect you. Even when things don’t seem quite right. You understand me?”
Something in her face sent a strange premonition through his guts. “Sure, Cee.” But he wasn’t really sure if he did.
She stood straight, licked her plump lips, and squared her shoulders. “You need t’ hear what the old timer said.”
Keenan rested his neck against the back of the couch. Putting his legs up on the coffee table, he decided it was probably best to humor her. More Creole mumbo jumbo, he was sure. “All right.”
“Her name is Dabria. She was a lower angel of the nine choirs up ‘til ‘bout five hundred years ago. A Muse, some say. She was on earth to work with her mentor, Amos, one o’ the principalities.
“Princa…what?”
“Didn’t ya ever go to Sunday school, child? I swear what you don’t know would fill a library.” She clicked her tongue. “Seventh of the nine choirs assigned to guide humans.”
“Oh,” was all Keenan could manage, vaguely remembering something about the nine choirs. He’d look it up later.
“Anyway, while on earth, she fell in love with a human, an artist from Florence, name of Luciano Moretti. It was a trap set by one of the fallen, Azazel…”
“This is just Catholic horseshit, Cee. There’s no such thing as angels or demons…”
“There was no such thing as ghosts a few years ago, remember?”
That stopped him cold. She had a point. “Oh, yeah. Continue.”
“Thank you,” she said tossing her head. “Anyway, Azazel killed the man and enslaved Dabria, turning her into a succubus. She escaped the demon, but was bound to this Earth to live out her days as a creature that had to seduce men to survive.” Constance’s eyes dimmed for a moment. “I kind o’ feel sorry for the poor thing, truth be told. Weren’t her fault… love can be mighty powerful, even for angels.” There was a sadness in her eyes that Keenan had never seen before and it bothered him.
“You okay, Cee?”
She looked up and smiled. “Nothin’ t’ fret on, boy.” She moved to the other end of the couch and scanned the room. “Maybe you should leave, Kee.”
Keenan leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He didn’t want to leave. In fact, he hoped she would come back. It was tying his stomach in knots.
“I’m not leaving my house, Cee,” he said.
Constance glided to the other side of the room and turned her head to him. “Do what ya think is right, Kee. Once she’s here, we can’t be there for ya. Maybe ya can get through t’ her, maybe not. If ya try, remember she was an angel once who loved a man. There may be something left of her heart.” She shimmered in the light briefly then disappeared.
Chapter Six
A Haunting Refrain
What woke Keenan a few hours later was a hiss in his ear. He forced his eyes open and blinked at the nature show droning on the TV in his living room. After rubbing them, he focused on the myrtle wood clock hanging behind it. Midnight on the
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