Chapter 8 Vada
This was weird. I hadn’t quite grasped the new technology of Earth.
We had phones in Hell, but not cars. Lucifer couldn’t be fucked to design roadways to allow cars in Hell, so we often took to using horses, portals, or various winged creatures to get around.
Adaela’s proximity pushed at me as if being held at knife point, and my power hummed quietly through me.
It was demanding I get as close to her as possible to drink in her electrifying essence.
I hoped she couldn’t sense my control slipping.
I’d need to take that tonic Poe had me purchase to see if it helped.
I hadn’t meant to touch her earlier, but I couldn’t help myself.
I was glad Poe was there to interfere. She’d mentioned that Adaela didn’t trust easily.
I understood that. I needed to back off a little bit and give her room to get to know me.
I wouldn’t use my succubus powers on her without her consent.
I hoped she understood that, but little was known about succubi outside of Hell, and often we were forced to use our powers lest we be tortured ourselves for disobeying.
It gave us a somewhat unfair reputation, but I understood it.
We parked down the street from Hellhounds, an aptly named shop I was sure Lucifer would be thrilled to learn about, and stopped at a cute little building that resembling an old filling station from one of the Earth movies I watched on my phone in Hell.
I’d spent the last several years learning about Earth’s customs through movies and TV, though I quickly learned that watching them and being immersed were two completely different things.
I tended to go with the flow, and I hoped that I didn’t outwardly seem as overwhelmed as I was on the inside.
I’d learn how to make my way through this new life soon enough.
“Are we getting gas?” I asked, curious about how it all worked.
Adaela chuckled, and the sound made my stomach do a little happy flip.
I officially decided right then and there that I would try to make her laugh as much as possible.
“No, this was once a gas station, but it’s now the best coffee shop in town.
It’s a little too cold to sit outside today, but in the summer, the patio is the best spot in the city,” she said.
Just as we started to exit the car, my stomach rumbled, and Adaela laughed again, “I guess we made it here just in time. Let's get some food in you.”
As Poe pushed the door open, shouts of celebration rang out for Adaela and Poe.
Adaela smiled and waved at everyone, radiant in her love for the people of this city.
It was infectious. I grinned inwardly as I followed them over to the counter, keeping my head down as I walked, the habit of trying to remain inconspicuous engrained into me from years of Demons demanding my attention.
I wasn’t overly familiar with the food on Earth yet, so as I carefully perused the options, I was a little overwhelmed again with the selections.
Adaela noticed and leaned over to help me, her petrichor scent invading my nostrils.
“What are kolaches and crepes?” I asked. There were several varieties and I’d never heard of either.
Her eyes lit up as she threw her head back before groaning toward the ceiling.
“I’m so jealous you get to experience both for the first time.
Kolaches are basically a pastry bun filled with various types of fruits or savory meat, and crepes are similar with fillings, but almost like a pancake that looks like an omelet. Do you prefer sweet or savory food?”
“It depends on my mood, but usually I prefer savory,” I replied, trying to hide the smile from her infectious energy behind my hand as I faked a yawn.
“Well, how about this? I’ll order several different types, and we can all share around the table. You’re welcome to whichever one you like the most.” She bumped her shoulder into me playfully. Her height made it so that she reached about my elbow, but close enough.
Adaela ordered a vanilla lavender latte and just about every variety of crepe and kolache they had on the menu.
Poe laughed behind me as she ordered her drink, and I grabbed a regular black coffee.
These food choices were enough of a new experience for me, so I decided to just stick with what was familiar.
We were stopped several times as we found our way to a booth in the back.
Adaela and Poe were patient as they answered the questions from the other patrons.
It was cool to see how much of an impact they both made on this community in such a short time, relatively speaking.
They were both down-to-earth and approachable in a way I’d never allowed myself to be.
I’d always held up barriers ever since Adam tried to force me into submission.
When Hashem betrayed me to Hell, cursing me to be a succubus, I had a hard time learning to trust anyone.
After the wars and my part within them, I was honestly just tired, and I needed a place I could finally be myself.
St. Louis was tentatively offering to be that place for me.
Adaela nudged my arm, “Hey, you alright? You went off somewhere for a second.”
I smiled at her, nudging her back playfully.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just thinking about how different this is compared to where I came from.
It’s a nice change.” I watched the beings around us, fascinated at how content they all seemed.
The small café provided a cozy atmosphere.
I could see the old filling station’s décor still scattered on the walls, but the subway tiles and clean floors gave it a more modern look.
As we took our seats in the booth, Poe and Adaela on one side, me on the other, Poe appeared to be having another vision.
Adaela got comfortable, placing her elbows on the table, her chin resting on the top of her hand.
She cocked her head to the side, trying to get a read on me.
I didn’t know what she was searching for, but she quirked her lips in a mischievous grin before shaking her head and turning away.
I smiled into my coffee cup as I took a sip.
“So, what brought you to St. Louis, Vada?” Adaela asked. She moved her hair behind her shoulders, then took a sip of her latte and cursed. “Shit, that’s still too hot to drink.”
I laughed. “Nothing is too hot or cold in Hell. It’s always just a slight inconvenience.
You want hot coffee? You’re getting lukewarm at best,” I sighed.
“Honestly, I decided to come to Earth again because of curiosity and a desperate need for change. I was bored and complacent. Even Asmodaeus could tell. Az has been ready to boot my ass out for about 400 years now.”
Adaela rubbed her neck. “I sometimes forget how old you are. I often think about the long lives of the Fae and forget that Gods have been around a lot longer than we have.”
Smiling, I took a sip of my coffee. It really was too hot, but I’d take the inconvenience of hot coffee over lukewarm any day, “Yeah, us old broads gotta stick together, am I right, Poe?”
Poe, coming out of her vision, seemed a little shaken. “Yeah, definitely. Hey, I need to head out. I’m so sorry. Something’s come up and I need to go consult with my sisters. I’ll catch you both later?”
“Everything alright?” Adaela asked, alarm in her voice.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do.” And with that ominous statement, Poe quickly exited the diner.
Adaela paled as she started to get out of the booth to go follow Poe when the food arrived.
She glanced at me, indecision written in every line of her body, but she sat back down instead, a line between her brows as she watched Poe get in her car to leave.
“I know it’s a bit awkward to sit on the same side of the booth when the other side is empty, but if you’re okay with it, it’ll be easier for me to point out what each thing is. ”
I scooched over to make room for Adaela to sit.
The table was overrun with food. Our coffees were moved over to the other side as my eyes got wider at the selection of almost two dozen different crepes and kolaches set down in front of us.
Adaela did a little happy shoulder shimmy and thanked the server, then shifted her body toward me while I tried to hide my amusement. She was just too cute.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked me as she started scanning the selections. She picked one of the buns off the table and set it in front of me, her giddiness almost palpable. “This is my favorite savory bun. Let me know what you think.”
I took a bite out of the pastry. The bun had a bit of sweetness to it, and then I got hit with the mouthwatering taste of brisket and egg.
My eyes went wide, and I quickly took another bite.
The brisket was so tender, I might have moaned when I took that second bite.
It wasn’t like wrestling the grittiness some brisket had.
It melted in your mouth, and the eggs were the perfect amount of fluffy. It was delicious.
“Holy shit, sweet girl, this is incredible,” I said without thinking. I froze, then glanced over at her, hoping that she didn’t catch my slip.
Adaela had this soft look on her face—one I couldn’t quite put a name to. It was quickly replaced with that mischievous grin I was coming to associate with her. “Sweet girl, huh? What makes you think anything about me is sweet?” she snarked.
Her shadows came up and wrapped around the hand I had the kolache in.
They pulled my hand toward her mouth, and she took a large bite of the bun in my hand.
I sat there with my mouth agape, trying to come up with a comeback.
I was struck by her directness, and I finally understood what getting turned on felt like.
I pressed my thighs together, crossing my legs casually to avoid questions.
She was going to be a challenge for sure, if she’d have me.
Nothing was hotter to me than a woman who took what she wanted without apology…
as long as it was consensual. And it was consensual on my end.
She finished chewing her stolen food and chortled, “What’s wrong, Seductress? Not used to being on the other side of things?” Her shadows slowly stroked down my arm and made me shiver.
“It’s not often that someone gets under my skin. I think you might have the ability to do so,” I replied, scanning the table for the next thing in line.
We tried most of the food on the table, and I was fuller than I’d ever been in my life. We packed up what we couldn’t eat. Adaela mentioned taking it to her little “beasties” at the Pax on our way to keep exploring of the city.
We were at the counter to close out our tab when a loud alarm went off outside.
I jumped out of my skin, but I was thankful that I hadn’t screamed in fright.
Years of training kept me mostly collected.
Everyone around us gaped at each other and at Adaela, apprehension on their faces.
The sound meant nothing to me, but my hackles rose nonetheless at the sheer volume of that alarm.
“What’s that noise?” I asked, speaking louder than usual to be heard over it.
“Everyone, I need you to stay calm and follow emergency procedures. Your faction leaders will be in touch once the coast is clear.” She turned to me.
“That’s a ward alarm. It usually means something nefarious is going on either by the ward, or within the walls of the city.
In the sixty-five years we’ve been here, so far, this is the fifth time it has gone off. Fuck. It’s probably nothing.”
A little Elven girl cried in her dad’s arms while her mother rocked an infant.
Another table had what appeared to be some elderly Humans, and another had various factions of magical inhabitants.
All of them were quickly gathering up everything they’d been eating and working on getting to their emergency locations.
A man stood up from a table near the back of the cafe and spoke. “Anyone who cannot quickly make it home, please come to me. I can get you where you need to go.” I’d assumed he likely had portal magic, or maybe he was a flying Shifter.
“Thank you, Silas. The Pax appreciates your help. You will all be notified as soon as we determine the cause,” Adaela said, quickly grabbing her phone and shooting off a text.
She turned her focus back on me. “I guess it’s a good thing we have food to take with us. It seems like we’re about to have a busy day at work. So much for taking a day off.”
I placed my hand at the small of her back. “It’s okay. Just let me know what you need from me, and I’ll make it happen. I don’t know what the protocol is here.”
Her shoulders crept toward her ears, stress evident. “We need an adultier adult.”