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Authors: Shawntelle Madison
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murmured.
Lilith had a history of being the worst soul-sucking succubus I’d ever seen. And I’d seen some pretty broken-down supernaturals in the Northeast. I was surprised Lilith wasn’t starving to death. Let me put it that way.
“Have seat, please. This visit unexpected, but wonderful nonetheless. I love to practice English with my daughter-in-law.” Inna was all grins. The only free spot was a loveseat and the floor. The living room was cozy, but not that spacious.
Raj eyed the room and briefly adjusted the gloves on his hands. He glanced at the tattered rug on the floor, probably seeing and thinking what I thought when I first came in: When was the last time they washed that thing? Had they ever? Tyler tapped Raj’s shoulder. “I’ll grab a spot on the floor. You and Nat sit on the other couch.”
Once we sat, I spoke first since everyone looked at me. “Thanks for inviting us inside,” I said in Russian. “My friends were kind enough to help me travel here to visit family.”
“Is something wrong with my aunt?” Inna interjected.
“Oh, no.” I searched for the words to keep my business my own. The last thing I needed was a phone call to America.
“I’m here for personal reasons. A surprise for Grandma and the others,” I quickly added.
“Oh, how fun!” she leaned forward and laughed.
I hid my relief and tried to keep my heart and breathing in check. My little speech worked all the time for my family back home. Surprises got most people to keep quiet. There were a few holdouts―Aunt Vera being one of them—but since she was in New Jersey, my journey here should work out.
A strange silence settled over everyone. The only noise came from a variety show on TV.
Raj’s gaze slowly darted to Yuri, who was in the midst of picking his nose.
“Stop that!” Lilith slapped his hand. Oh, God! She touched the hand he picked with. “Go wash your nasty paws.”
Inna glanced to each of us as if to change the mood, while Yuri went to the adjoining kitchen to clean up. “Can I get you drink, food?” she asked in English.
“No, thank you,” Raj said with a smile. I translated that to hell, no .
“I’m good. Thanks.” Tyler offered his brightest grin.
“I’ve been full for hours,” I added in Russian.
An audible stomach growl came from the spot where Tyler sat.
Inna blinked and a wave of embarrassment came over me. I should’ve made sure Tyler got something to eat before we came. He didn’t complain much about basic needs. Maybe it was a modeling thing.
Once Yuri returned to his seat, his wife spoke to him. “Go down to the corner mart and get our guests some sandwiches from the stand.”
Yuri reached forward and kissed her stomach. “Anything you want.”
That was the extent of their conversation.
I rubbed my eyes. This had to be an illusion. A trickery of light and I’d fallen on the floor unconscious. This wasn’t the same lazy man who called my parents’ home asking to “talk” to Grandma for money. In the background, I often heard my cousin’s TV or the music from a video game. The guy had “deadbeat son who lived at home” written all over him.
Lilith waited for him to leave, all the while blowing on the fingernails she’d attempted to paint. She’d gotten a few streaks of red on her wrists, but the proud pregnant mother held up her hands with pride.
“When are you due?” I asked to make light conversation.
“I’m still early in my pregnancy. This place has been nice. New York wasn’t a good place for me to be in my condition.”
“How is that?” It wasn’t like she had the tools to hunt for souls in the U.S. either.
“Yuri and his family take care of me. Every single need.”
I shuddered, not bothering to ask where her food supply came from.
“What plan you have?” Inna asked. “You need stay here?”
My mouth opened to say no, but Tyler spoke first. “She needs to travel north to find a small town called Vyborg. Do you know the best way to
Lilith had a history of being the worst soul-sucking succubus I’d ever seen. And I’d seen some pretty broken-down supernaturals in the Northeast. I was surprised Lilith wasn’t starving to death. Let me put it that way.
“Have seat, please. This visit unexpected, but wonderful nonetheless. I love to practice English with my daughter-in-law.” Inna was all grins. The only free spot was a loveseat and the floor. The living room was cozy, but not that spacious.
Raj eyed the room and briefly adjusted the gloves on his hands. He glanced at the tattered rug on the floor, probably seeing and thinking what I thought when I first came in: When was the last time they washed that thing? Had they ever? Tyler tapped Raj’s shoulder. “I’ll grab a spot on the floor. You and Nat sit on the other couch.”
Once we sat, I spoke first since everyone looked at me. “Thanks for inviting us inside,” I said in Russian. “My friends were kind enough to help me travel here to visit family.”
“Is something wrong with my aunt?” Inna interjected.
“Oh, no.” I searched for the words to keep my business my own. The last thing I needed was a phone call to America.
“I’m here for personal reasons. A surprise for Grandma and the others,” I quickly added.
“Oh, how fun!” she leaned forward and laughed.
I hid my relief and tried to keep my heart and breathing in check. My little speech worked all the time for my family back home. Surprises got most people to keep quiet. There were a few holdouts―Aunt Vera being one of them—but since she was in New Jersey, my journey here should work out.
A strange silence settled over everyone. The only noise came from a variety show on TV.
Raj’s gaze slowly darted to Yuri, who was in the midst of picking his nose.
“Stop that!” Lilith slapped his hand. Oh, God! She touched the hand he picked with. “Go wash your nasty paws.”
Inna glanced to each of us as if to change the mood, while Yuri went to the adjoining kitchen to clean up. “Can I get you drink, food?” she asked in English.
“No, thank you,” Raj said with a smile. I translated that to hell, no .
“I’m good. Thanks.” Tyler offered his brightest grin.
“I’ve been full for hours,” I added in Russian.
An audible stomach growl came from the spot where Tyler sat.
Inna blinked and a wave of embarrassment came over me. I should’ve made sure Tyler got something to eat before we came. He didn’t complain much about basic needs. Maybe it was a modeling thing.
Once Yuri returned to his seat, his wife spoke to him. “Go down to the corner mart and get our guests some sandwiches from the stand.”
Yuri reached forward and kissed her stomach. “Anything you want.”
That was the extent of their conversation.
I rubbed my eyes. This had to be an illusion. A trickery of light and I’d fallen on the floor unconscious. This wasn’t the same lazy man who called my parents’ home asking to “talk” to Grandma for money. In the background, I often heard my cousin’s TV or the music from a video game. The guy had “deadbeat son who lived at home” written all over him.
Lilith waited for him to leave, all the while blowing on the fingernails she’d attempted to paint. She’d gotten a few streaks of red on her wrists, but the proud pregnant mother held up her hands with pride.
“When are you due?” I asked to make light conversation.
“I’m still early in my pregnancy. This place has been nice. New York wasn’t a good place for me to be in my condition.”
“How is that?” It wasn’t like she had the tools to hunt for souls in the U.S. either.
“Yuri and his family take care of me. Every single need.”
I shuddered, not bothering to ask where her food supply came from.
“What plan you have?” Inna asked. “You need stay here?”
My mouth opened to say no, but Tyler spoke first. “She needs to travel north to find a small town called Vyborg. Do you know the best way to
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