him to be an entry-level demon and doorman while I’m one of Satan’s Chosen.”
“To say nothing about being one of the great stars of Wall Street,” Eros observed dryly.
“That too,” Sybil agreed with remarkable candor. For Sybil, at least. “Honestly, it would be an issue for me if all he could manage was being a doorman and a low-level enforcer. The disparity could be a relationship problem.”
We all nodded in glum agreement. Maybe, being immortal and so very old, we weren’t quite able to shake the idea that a guy should be at least a little taller and every bit as successful as we are. The problem here is obvious, and it has nothing to do with height.
Maybe it’s not all old-fashioned assumptions about a man making the money and having the status. In fact, I remember times and places where that wasn’t true. My status as the daughter of the king would have increased the status of any family I married into.
No, while there are issues of status and money and compatibility, there is also the fact that we don’t want to be used. I don’t ever want to wonder if a man is dating me for my money or my proximity to Satan.
Well, that wouldn’t be a problem with Nathan, I thought grimly. As soon as he found out that I was a succubus he had fled. Run. Totally came apart at the seams. He wasn’t using me for my contacts, that was for sure.
“Your Aruba guy, what’s his name?” Desi asked.
“Marten.”
“Right, Marten. Well, Marten could be using you because you’re a demon,” Desi reminded me sharply.
“While he’s great in bed, I don’t think that sex is his greatest desire.”
“He’s very good at it,” I defended him. “Besides, what would he be using me for?”
Desi shook her head. “Power? Don’t all ceremonial magicians want power over demons? And what about your ichor?”
“You think he’d be dating me to bleed me?” I was aghast. Yes, ceremonial magicians used ichor in certain of their workings, but it had never occurred to me that Marten might—no, I wasn’t even going to think it.
“But how come we’re talking about me again?” I asked. I turned to Sybil. “What about you and Vincent? So you’re now officially dating. Did he take you to his place last night?”
“Oh, no,” Sybil looked offended. “Certainly he didn’t. He came to my place. He only has a tiny place in a sketchy neighborhood.”
“You took him to your place . . .” Desi tried to pick up the thread. “And?”
“He liked the new wallpaper,” Sybil said stoutly.
And she wouldn’t say any more. We all knew, and since Sybil was not a sex demon, sometimes she got a little prudish if we asked about her intimate life.
Thinking about Sybil, I had managed to forget that my friends were also curious about me. Or rather, about my plans for and with Marten.
“So is he a ceremonial magician?” Eros asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know for sure myself. Azoked said he was, but we all know that she can be misleading. He hasn’t asked me for anything yet.”
“Except sex,” Desi pointed out.
“Except sex,” I agreed. “But if he knew at the time what I was, then he’s either brave or stupid.”
“Or arrogant,” Eros suggested.
“Or he just knows he’s a very good lover,” Desi defended him. “Some of them put real effort into it and are proud of their results. It’s like any art form, really.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m seeing him tonight, and maybe tomorrow night. Maybe I’ll find out. Maybe I’ll just have fun. Mostly I’m thinking about having fun.”
Sybil nodded vigorously. “You should definitely have fun with him. If he wants anything, well, you can find out what it is. If he knows what you are, he knows that you can’t give him riches or position or anything.”
I giggled. “No, but you could certainly give him riches. If he asks for that, I’ll recommend you as his financial adviser. And give me the name of that fund you’re managing again?”
Sybil
“To say nothing about being one of the great stars of Wall Street,” Eros observed dryly.
“That too,” Sybil agreed with remarkable candor. For Sybil, at least. “Honestly, it would be an issue for me if all he could manage was being a doorman and a low-level enforcer. The disparity could be a relationship problem.”
We all nodded in glum agreement. Maybe, being immortal and so very old, we weren’t quite able to shake the idea that a guy should be at least a little taller and every bit as successful as we are. The problem here is obvious, and it has nothing to do with height.
Maybe it’s not all old-fashioned assumptions about a man making the money and having the status. In fact, I remember times and places where that wasn’t true. My status as the daughter of the king would have increased the status of any family I married into.
No, while there are issues of status and money and compatibility, there is also the fact that we don’t want to be used. I don’t ever want to wonder if a man is dating me for my money or my proximity to Satan.
Well, that wouldn’t be a problem with Nathan, I thought grimly. As soon as he found out that I was a succubus he had fled. Run. Totally came apart at the seams. He wasn’t using me for my contacts, that was for sure.
“Your Aruba guy, what’s his name?” Desi asked.
“Marten.”
“Right, Marten. Well, Marten could be using you because you’re a demon,” Desi reminded me sharply.
“While he’s great in bed, I don’t think that sex is his greatest desire.”
“He’s very good at it,” I defended him. “Besides, what would he be using me for?”
Desi shook her head. “Power? Don’t all ceremonial magicians want power over demons? And what about your ichor?”
“You think he’d be dating me to bleed me?” I was aghast. Yes, ceremonial magicians used ichor in certain of their workings, but it had never occurred to me that Marten might—no, I wasn’t even going to think it.
“But how come we’re talking about me again?” I asked. I turned to Sybil. “What about you and Vincent? So you’re now officially dating. Did he take you to his place last night?”
“Oh, no,” Sybil looked offended. “Certainly he didn’t. He came to my place. He only has a tiny place in a sketchy neighborhood.”
“You took him to your place . . .” Desi tried to pick up the thread. “And?”
“He liked the new wallpaper,” Sybil said stoutly.
And she wouldn’t say any more. We all knew, and since Sybil was not a sex demon, sometimes she got a little prudish if we asked about her intimate life.
Thinking about Sybil, I had managed to forget that my friends were also curious about me. Or rather, about my plans for and with Marten.
“So is he a ceremonial magician?” Eros asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know for sure myself. Azoked said he was, but we all know that she can be misleading. He hasn’t asked me for anything yet.”
“Except sex,” Desi pointed out.
“Except sex,” I agreed. “But if he knew at the time what I was, then he’s either brave or stupid.”
“Or arrogant,” Eros suggested.
“Or he just knows he’s a very good lover,” Desi defended him. “Some of them put real effort into it and are proud of their results. It’s like any art form, really.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m seeing him tonight, and maybe tomorrow night. Maybe I’ll find out. Maybe I’ll just have fun. Mostly I’m thinking about having fun.”
Sybil nodded vigorously. “You should definitely have fun with him. If he wants anything, well, you can find out what it is. If he knows what you are, he knows that you can’t give him riches or position or anything.”
I giggled. “No, but you could certainly give him riches. If he asks for that, I’ll recommend you as his financial adviser. And give me the name of that fund you’re managing again?”
Sybil
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