Succubus Revealed Chapter 19

And so began my day in court.Despite Hannibals chew the fat for order, it was obvious that every genius was hu throw up fixated on Romans presence. Id kn admit nephilim were despised among greater immortals, scarce it wasnt until today that the full moon scope of it total me. It shed new light on why Roman and his kind were often so obsessed with getting concealment at the powers that be. I wondered if it was good to have few of the attention invaden off me or if Id fair(a) doomed myself further by association.So, give tongue to Judge Hannibal. Youve got some kind of gripe with your contract. brotherhood the club. Low chuckles from the demonic spectators rumbled approximately the room.Roman cle ard his throat, silencing the chuckles. Your watch, we have more than a gripe. We have express that Hell non only violated her contract exactly in addition drew up another(prenominal) at a lower place false pretenses.Thats absurd, utter Marcel. We plundert examine everyone in the worlds contract. If somebody else has a problem, they can have their possess trial.The other contract is for a gentleman whos silence alive, said Roman. Hes in no position to saddle a claim, and his was crosstied in to the paperwork that brought hers to court.Hannibal waved his hands dismissively. Well, we havent as yet proved thithers anything wrong with hers, so lets settle that onward we start doing favors for others.Can we see her contract? asked Roman.Doris? Hannibal glanced over at the woman with the laptop. She produced a heavy, metal turning point from beneathneath her desk with what appe ared to be a numeric lock. After original consulting her laptop, she punched in a considerable serial of digits. Smoke seeped out of the edges of the box. A moment later, she opened it up and produced a long, ornate scroll. She glanced at the arbitrator.Copies?Yes, please, he told her.Doris repeated the procedure a couple more times, and I leaned toward Roman. How doe s this work? I whispered. Isnt there some kind of order? Doesnt the prosecution go first?Maybe in an American court of law, he whispered back. Here? Everyone just gets out their argument when they can, and its up to the judge to keep order.It surprised me. Considering the irresistible varletulse with details around here, I wouldve expected a certain amount of painstaking procedure. Then again, a survival-of-the-fittest method of pushing your boldness wasnt that out of line with Hells ideologies either.Scrolls were obtained for the judge and lawyers. regular(a) though it was a copy, I was still a bit daunted when Roman spread the scroll out before us on the table. This was it, the contract that had frame in my immortal mind. One sm each decision with centuries of consequences. It was written in English, and I supposed Doriss magic scroll copy box must have the powers of translation since the original had been in Greek.May I direct your attention to section 3A, said Roman loudly. In a softer voice, he added to me, The counterweight is pretty lots ideal Hell legalese.It was true. The scroll was so big, we couldnt open it in its entirety. From what I could see, most of it was a painfully detailed description of what it meant to serve as a succubus and deed over Hell the lease on your soul. In their defense, there wasnt much theyd left out. I hadnt read the full contract at the time. Niphon had summarized the high points for me, but it was impossible to say they didnt let you k instantly what you were in for. Fortunately, those technicalities werent our tie in today.Roman read aloudIn exchange for ownership of the afore bring uped soul (see sections 1B, 4A, 4B, 5B violate 1, 5B part 2, and appendix 574.3) and services detailed below (see sections 3A, 3B, 6A-F, 12C) as performed by the contractee (henceforth c in alled the Damned), the almighty Kingdom of Hell and its representatives do agree to the following1. Granting to the Damned of succubus powers des cribed in sections 7.1A and 7.3A.2. All mortals who were introduce with the Damned in her humans life shall have all subsistledge of her erased from their memories, never to be regained, in accordance with standard memory dis avail procedures (see appendix 23).Roman looked up at the judge when he finished reading. Now, said Roman. I can read appendix 23 if you want, but the point is that Hell did not honor part of their agreement. whateverone she knew when she was human a mortal called her. wherefore wasnt this raised back wherefore? asked Hannibal.Because it happened a couple months ago, said Roman. The person in question is someone with a reincarnation contract who was alive then and today.If this person was reincarnated, then the points irrelevant, said Marcel. Its not technically the equivalent person anymore. Therefore, the contract stands.not according to addendum 764 of the Treatise on Humanity , said Roman. According to it, all man-to-mans humans and lesser immort als are defined by their souls. No way out what shape that being takes, the soul remains constant, as does the individuals identity. Im accepted Doris can produce a copy if we need it.Doris looked at Hannibal expectantly. Dont bother, he said. Im familiar with the Treatise. Okay. Operating under the assumption that souls are constant and individuals are defined by their souls, what certainty do you have that this reincarnated individual remembered the petitioner here?I expected Roman to say something and then realized he was time lag on me. It was still hard to wrap my head around the idea of everyone just jumping in advance and speaking.He called me by my name, your honor, I said. My first human name from the fifth century. The one he knew me as back then.Had he ever comprehend it before in this lifetime? prompted Roman.No, I said.Did anyone proclaim this? asked Marcel.No, I said.I see, he said, managing to make me feel very small with those two words. His tone implied tha t it was a miracle wed even made it this far on such flimsy evidence.Its okay, said Roman. Because we have more. This equivalent reincarnated subject revealed under hypnosis remembering her in several other lives.Are there witnesses to that? asked Hannibal.We both witnessed it, said Roman. As hale as an imp employed in Seattle. Hugh Mitchell. He was the one who actually performed the hypnosis, if you wanted to summon him.I tensed. Hugh was for certain an airtight witness seeing as he wasnt the petitioner in this case or a creature despised by both Heaven and Hell but my earlier panic for him returned. I didnt endure if he could get in trouble for providing key evidence.We dont need him, said Marcel. You and he witnessed the same thing?I nodded.Marcel glanced over at the control panel. You can tell if shes lying. Is she telling the accuracy?Six heads nodded. I was surprised I hadnt thought of this earlier. Angels could tell if mortals and lesser immortals were telling the truth. That was handy in a trial homogeneous this. I was as well as surprised Marcel was protagonisting me out analogous this.There you have it, he said. She thinks she heard the subject remembering her under hypnosis. We can assume this imp would believe it as well.Hey, I argued. Theres no thinks about it. He did remember me.Marcel shrugged. If you say so. We can only take your word for it and what you think you heard. Theres no objective evidence to show that he remembered, whence calling our part of the bargain into dispute.Oh, we can fix the evidence, said Roman. The subject in question is also under contract. And the very nature of his contract contradicts hers. Can you bring it up, Doris?Hannibal nodded his consent, and she turned to her laptop. Name?Kyriakos, I said, arduous not to stumble over the word. Thats what it was in the fifth century, at least. In Cyprus. Today hes readiness Mortensen.The judge arched an eyebrow. I like his books. Didnt realize he was one of ours.Well, hes not yet, I muttered.Doris meanwhile was write forth on her laptop, putting in the appropriate criteria. She must have found the right case number because she soon turned to the smoking metal box and produced three more scrolls. The copies were distributed, and a strange feeling crept over my skin as Roman opened this one, stranger even than when wed viewed my own. Here it was. Seths contract. Kyriakoss contract. It had existed unk instantern to me all these years, subtly influencing my life. It had been made because of me. Roman again jumped to section 2, which was ostensibly consistent across contracts as far as what the Damned received. The Damned shall be granted a total of ten human lives, of which one has already taken place. The subsequent nine reincarnations shall occur in such times and places that he whitethorn be in proximity to the lover he believes is missing from his first life, in the hopes of reconciliation. Upon finish of the tenth life, the Dam neds soul will become the property of Hell, in accordance with sections 8D, 9A, and 9B. Roman fell silent, a frown on his face. I too felt dismayed but didnt think we shared the same reasons. Without Seth confirming anything, wed been unsure if his soul was damned or not, regardless of his success in decision me. Id half hoped that Hell had tending(p) him some mediocrey-tale challenge, that if he could find and reunite with me, his soul would be restored to him. That apparently wasnt true. Hell had only offered him the chance to be with me. Theyd given him no more than that. If we made amends, his soul belonged to them, the same as if we didnt. Our romantic outcome made no difference. I wondered if he had bargained for more or had been so desperate and grateful for the chance to simply be with me again that he hadnt even asked for more.Marcel smiled. I see Letha mentioned nowhere in here. There was no violation of the terms of her contract.But obviously someone knew, said Roman. You must have a record of all of his lives. Hes encountered her in each one of them. So someone, somewhere made sure that part of the contract was fulfilled his reunion with the missing lover from his first life. Her. Whom he was supposed to forget, per the terms of her contract. They contradict each other.Roman spoke confidently, laying his points out reasonably, but I could sense the uneasiness within him. I knew what the hanging point was the same point Marcel had rapidly jumped on. I wasnt cited by name here. Somewhere, there had to be a record of it if Hell had managed to let Seth be reborn near me each time, but we didnt know what that was. Hell certainly wasnt going to athletic supporter us find it.It could be a coincidence, said Marcel. Maybe he met someone else in his first life whom he fell in love with, someone whom he baffled young and go along to seek in the following centuries.Someone else who was immortal and would be alive for the next fifteen hundred years? as ked Roman. Thats an awfully big coincidence.Marcel looked smug. Be that as it may, Letha is not mentioned anywhere in his contract. Everythings minute at best, with no proof that Hell entered into this under false pretenses.A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I began attempting to unroll the scroll, seeking a very specific piece of information. There were so many sections, subsections, articles, and clauses, however, that I couldnt make any sense of it.Who drafted this? I asked Roman. Shouldnt whoever brokered the deal be listed?Section 27E, said Roman automatically.I paused to give him an incredulous glance. How do you know that?What do you think Ive been doing for the last week? he asked, by way of answer.He helped me find the appropriate section, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the name Id been hoping for. Just to be sure, I found the matching section in my own contract. Roman, spying what I had, immediately ran with it.Your honor, these contracts were brokered by t he same imp. Niphon. He had to have known they conflicted with each other. He had to have known that Letha was the lover Kyriakos was seeking.He didnt have to have known anything, countered Marcel. It could be a coincidence.Well, lets get him in here and find out, said Roman.Hannibal considered this for several seconds. I got the distinct impression that he most unimpeachably did not want to summon Niphon, but some of the saints in the instrument panel were regarding him expectantly. If this were truly a fair trial, with evidence laid neatly out, then there was no reason not to bring in a key witness like Niphon.Very well, said Hannibal. He looked over to the guy in the nice suit, the one whod opened proceedings. Id taken him for some kind of classy bailiff. Go get him. Well call a ten-minute recess while you do. Hannibal banged his gavel, and conversation buzzed as the bailiff hurried out of the room.I leaned toward Roman. Niphon knows. He has to know. Did I ever tell you the ful l story of when he came to visit last year?Roman had heard some of it but was very eager for a recap as I told the tale again. Niphon had shown up, ostensibly to deliver Tawny as our newest succubus. During his stay, however, hed caused no end of trouble for me and Seth. Hed tried to drive a wedge heel in the midst of us, and indeed, some of his actions were what had led Seth to believe a breakup was better for us in the long run. Niphon had also tried to broker a contract with Seth in order for us to be together without the harmful succubus effects that occurred during sex. The cost would have been Seths soul, of course.I paused, thinking that over. I understand the rest . . . him wanting to keep us apart. Hugh had said it was the trait of an imp trying to adopt for some mistake and this is a pretty big one. It makes sense hed want to split us up and avoid discovery of the conflict. But why bother to make another deal if Seths soul was already under contract?Romans eyes were a light with thought. Because he couldve done an amendment to the old contract and cleaned up the contradiction. Seths soul would have been resecured.We had no time to analyze it further because the recess soon ended. Hannibal brought things to order and the bailiff returned with Niphon. My stomach misshapen at the sight of him, just as it had last time. Niphon always put me in mind of a weasel. He wore a gray suit, looking business-ready like all imps did, but had heavily pomade-slicked hair that took away some of his credibility. He had thin lips, small eyes, and an olive complexion. He also looked like hed bolt if given half the chance. The screwup hed tried to conceal was now being laid out. His escort led him to a witness stand near the bench. Niphon gingerly sat down, sweating visibly. Id worried about Hugh being dragged into this, fearful of the consequences hed face. Niphon was credibly afraid of the same thing being punished for helping my case. The difference was that Hugh would at least take some satisfaction out of assisting me. Niphon had no gain in any of this.State your name please, said Hannibal.The imp licked his lips. Niphon, your honor. At your service.You brokered these two contracts? asked Hannibal, indicating the scrolls Doris had just placed on the witness stand.Niphon made a great show of studying them. I suppose so, your honor. My names on them, but its been such a long time. Makes it easy to forget.I scoffed. You seemed to remember last year when you were scrambling to cover your ass.Lets keep this civilized and fair, said Hannibal mildly. rightfully? I was the one being chastised for civility and fairness?Did you know when you drew up Kyriakoss contract that Letha was the one he was seeking? asked Roman. Seeing Niphon squirm, Roman added, And be careful about saying you dont remember. The angels in the see jury will know youre lying.Niphon swallowed and cast an anxious look at the jury box before returning his gaze to Roman. I . . . yes. I knew.And since youd drawn up Lethas contract, you knew that her terms required all those who knew her as a human to forget her. The fact that he was seeking her at all was a sign her contract had been broken. You werent able to keep him in a state of forgetfulness.Niphon made a face. He didnt mention her by name. He only remembered that she was gone.Roman smacked my contract hard. The contract doesnt specify to what degree she can be forgotten, just that she is. Period.Sweat was practically pouring off Niphon in buckets now. He jerked one of the scrolls toward him and scanned it with his twitchy eyes. All mortals who were acquainted with the Damned in her human life shall have all knowledge of her erased from their memories. . . . He glanced up. This is a translation. I think the original Greek makes it clearer that only those from her human life forget her. Therefore, if he remembered her afterward, there would be no violation. Can we get a Greek copy in here?It wouldnt m atter, said Roman. Even if it does say that. Weve already established that a soul defines a persons identity across lives. Even now, hes still technically someone from her human life, and he remembered. You were unable to uphold the contract.Thats hardly my fault Niphon exclaimed. It was unclear now if he was speaking to Roman and me or to superiors in the audience. I made the arrangements for standard memory loss with her contract. I dont know why it didnt work. Yes, I knew he was her husband when I set up his contract, but I didnt think of this in terms of contract violation. I was just securing another soul.Marcel intercommunicate the jury. Is he telling the truth? He made the second contract out of ignorance and not venomed intent? By which I mean, no more malicious intent than is normally called for in these situations.Some of the angels nodded, looking reluctant to do so.It doesnt matter if it was in ignorance, said Roman. Thats never an excuse for breaking the law. You mess ed up, and in doing so, youve invalidated both contracts.Come now, said Marcel. Its not as though either of the Damned were that wronged. This small beer aside, she really was wiped from the memories of all she knew. And he got nine more lives. Nine more lives We all know how exalted reincarnation deals are. He got exactly what he asked for. He was even reunited with her. Hell has fulfilled these contracts as nobly as possible, and you cant hold everyone responsible for one underlings mishap that no one else even knew about.Oh, said Roman, a predatory note in his voice. I think others knew about the glitch. Others in much higher positions. Your honor, may I call another witness?Who? asked Hannibal.My father, said Roman. Jerome, Archdemon of Seattle.There was a collective gasp among some, but whether that was from Roman acknowledging Jerome as his father or simply the summoning of such a high-ranking witness, I couldnt say. Hannibal nodded.Granted. Niphon, you may step down. Jerome , please join us up here.Niphon couldnt get out of there close enough. He practically barreled into Jerome when they passed in the aisle. For his part, Jerome was sauntering along casually, as though all of this were beneath him and it was a great concession on his part to even show. He sat down, crossing his hands neatly in front of him and affecting a bored look.Jerome, said Roman. Isnt it true you knew about the connection between Seth and Georgina? Er, Kyriakos and Letha?Jerome shrugged one shoulder. I knew they were both contracted souls.It was an answer worthy of an angel. Some of the truth, but not all of the truth. I half hoped some angel would call him on it until an unfortunate fact hit me. Demons could lie without detection. There was no way to prove he was telling the truth or not.Did you know the terms of her contract? asked Roman.Of course, said Jerome. I do for all my employees.So you knew that the contract allowed her to be wiped from the minds of all those who knew her when she was human.Yes, said Jerome.And you knew that Seth was once her husband, with a contract that involved her.No, said Jerome flatly. I most certainly did not.A lie, a lie, I thought. But there was no way to prove it.If thats so, said Roman, then why did you use Seth Mortensen to help retrieve Georgina when she was captured by Oneroi last year?I dont remember the specifics of that incident, said Jerome delicately.Well, said Roman, if you need your memory refreshed, theres an angel here who witnessed it all who can give us a recap. One Im sure the jury wont question.Jeromes features went perfectly still as Romans trap sprang open around him. Jerome might be immune to angelic truth detection, but anything Carter swore to seeing Jerome do or know would be held as gospel. Carter couldnt lie. If he said Jerome had used Seth to rescue me, then everyone would believe it, regardless if Jerome continued to deny it. Seeing the futility of more cover-up, Jerome came clean.Oh, he said . Those Oneroi.You used a human psychic to help retrieve her, said Roman. He had the power and the ritual but no way to actually find her in the void where the Oneroi were holding her. You suggested using Seth as a way to find her soul, and it worked. Why? How did you know that?Jerome shrugged. They were always mooning over each other. I figured if ever there was any sexual morality in that true love nonsense, then we could use it to help us.Thats not what Mei said. I took advantage of the conversational nature of the proceedings, my mind spinning with a long-lost memory. Mei said it defied the odds and that no matter how in love we were, it shouldnt have worked.Jeromes dark gaze flicked to something behind me, and I was guessing Mei was now enjoying the full force of his glare.Georgina was trapped in the vastness of the dream world, added in Roman. One soul lost among dreams. For someone else to reach her and call her back required a staggering connection, two souls with a tie tha ts bound them through time.Please dont get sentimental, said Jerome. Its nauseating.Roman shook his head. Im stating facts. Everyone here knows its true. Their souls had to have been bound for him to get to her, and you knew it, which is why you suggested using Seth. You knew about the contracts and their history. This wasnt one small error confined to a bodge inferior. You knew about it. And you knew there was a problem.Which is why you had Erik killed and initiated a transfer for me I exclaimed. Seeing Jerome sitting there so coolly, so uncaring . . . it drove home the truth. He had known all along what was flow with Seth and me, and what it meant. Id never thought Jerome and I were friends, but it was startling to really accept just how much hed been working against me in order to further Hells goals.Oh, Georgie, he said. Always you and the melodrama.Its not We can get proof Roman put his hand on mine. Not easily, he murmured. Therell be no paper trail, I guarantee it. And its not relevant to this case right now.I thought about kind, generous Erik, exhaust to death before my eyes. Its relevant to me.Jerome let out a long-suffering sigh. Is there anything else? Can I return to my seat, please?The judge glanced between Roman and Marcel. Both men shook their heads.When Jerome was gone, Roman pushed the case. Your honor, respect jury . . . weve provided more than enough evidence to show that her contract was not fulfilled. Through whatever mishaps, those from her human life did not stop remembering her. Per article 7.51.2 of the Soul Chronicles, Georginas contract is invalidated. Shes authorise to her soul back and the remainder of this life, free of Hells employment, per the section on damages and reparations in article 8.2.0. Likewise, Seth Mortensens contract is also invalidated because it was made under false pretenses. The imp who drew it up knew that it violated hers and knew that the very conditions of Seths conclusion her and making amends incl uded a degree of remembering. Its impossible for his to exist without contradicting hers. He too is entitled to the restoration of his soul.Your honor began Marcel.Judge Hannibal held up his hand. Silence. Ill make you a deal.There was a restless unsteady in the courtroom, an undercurrent of excitement. Demons loved deals and bargains.Go on, said Roman.Im willing to dismiss the case without a jury vote and grant that Lethas contract wasnt honored. Im willing to give her all of the restorations outlined in article 8.2.0.Gasps skirt us. My eyes widened, and I turned to Roman questioningly. Was it as easy as that? I didnt know all the details of 8.2.0, but by my understanding, if the contract was invalidated, I could return to Earth and live out the rest of my days as a human. In possession of my soul. It seemed too good to be true.However, continued Hannibal, I dont see enough evidence to support the releasing of this second soul. Your argument for it will be propel out for being groundless.But it isnt I cried.If we dont accept, then what? asked Roman.Hannibal shrugged. Then the jury can vote on the question of both contracts.Roman nodded thoughtfully. Can I have a moment to confer with my, um, lymph node?Sure. Hannibal banged the gavel. Five-minute recess.The spectators didnt need to be told twice. This was huge. A soul getting released was not something that happened every day, nor was a deal like we were being offered.Whats the catch here? I asked Roman softly.He narrowed his eyes. Well, I think Hannibal thinks hes in danger of losing two souls and is trying cut his losses. Your evidence is pretty solid. Seths is too, though not quite as good especially without Seth actually here. Still, Hannibal would rather let you go easily and ensure that he still keeps one soul in this mess.But if the evidence is there, then we should let it go to the jury. You just said its solid for Seth too.It is, agreed Roman. But heres the thing that Hugh told me about these juries. All contract disputes are judged by half angels and half demons for the sake of fairness. The angels will honestly vote with what they feel to be right. If the evidence was flimsy, theyd vote against you. Its not worth it to them to get a soul free if the conditions arent honorable. The demons have no such morals. Jerome and Niphon could both openly confess to a conspiracy of conflicting contracts, and every demon on that jury would still vote against you.Thats not fair, I said.Georgina, he said simply. Were in Hell.So what happens if its split? Do they go by the same hung jury procedures we know?A tie-breaking vote is produced. A thirteenth angel or demon is called at random, who then casts the deciding vote. If it comes down to that, then your chances simply fall to a 50-50 luck of the draw.Hence the bargain, I murmured. If I abandon Seths soul, Im guaranteed my freedom.Roman nodded. And if you dont, you may be consigning both of you to Hell.