Enceladus 4: The Invasion

“What did you do?” Mel wasn’t staring at me in fear.

I rocked back on my heels before I stood and faced him. I bit my lip. I knew he saw it all. No room for lies. “I’m a succubus.” I said it fast, too fast. I was on a terrific high. My words jumbled but I could tell he heard me.

He nodded slowly. “A succubus.”

“Yeah . . . No one else has this ability. Just me.”

“Why do you have it?”

I paused. There was no way I was telling him that I was the daughter of the Devil. “I have some extra genes that aren’t Enceladian.” That wasn’t an outright lie. I did have other genes. Satanic genes.

“How does it work?”

I realized something. Of course he wasn’t afraid of me. He didn’t know about Stacia. He didn’t know that when I normally did the whole sucking people’s life away, I went dark and killed everyone. “Well I just inhale and their life . . . force or essence comes to me. It gives me energy. It could be called energy sourcing as well.”

He nodded—slowly again.

“We should get going.”

The rest of the seeking part of the hide-and-seek went smoothly. We took out some Mimans and Dionians and more Rheans. I used my control of elements to light some creatures on fire and take the air from them so they suffocated.

Rheans were the species I disliked the most. They were whiny and not very smart.

The guards told the SE agent what that Rhean had said about Titan. In return, he told us he would send the other half of Enceladus and Iapetus to Asia. He ordered the other half of Janus to help in D.C. since they were already there.

We met back in the city square as it was nearing nighttime.

“Hello, everyone. I hope the hunt went well,” the agent said. “My shuttle tells me that there are no more hostile aliens!”

Everybody cheered. I clapped but my stomach felt uneasy.

“I encourage everyone to look around and explore. Get some rest tonight. Nowhere needs us right this minute so tomorrow we will leave with a real destination. Good work.”

I took Talia’s hand. “I want to show you something.” I spread my wings and brought her up in the air. We flew twenty-eight kilometers away from the city hall. Once I spotted it, I landed and Talia followed.

“What is it?”

“Le Mistral.”

She cocked her head in confusion.

“It’s a French restaurant. I found out, while on Earth, that French food tastes a lot like Enceladian food.” I led her to the back where the door was unlocked. Good. I didn’t want to break in.

I flipped on the lights and looked around the kitchen—where the back door led. “Okay, go sit at a table. I’ll make you something.” I gave her a kiss and she sauntered out of the kitchen.

Half an hour later, I successfully made some food. It was a good thing I had lived on Earth for eight years and knew how to work an oven/stove top.

Talia eagerly scarfed up the food. “Mmmm,” she said, mouthful of food. “It tastes like låpënô qôn.” Which was a cooked animal that looked like a pig. Served with noodles. “How did you know I was homesick?”

I smiled. “I know you.” Even I ate to ease her worried mind.

“So, you really don’t have to eat?”

I shook my head. “I don’t feel hungry. This-” I motioned to the food, “doesn’t satisfy me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me he visited you again?” she asked, hurt in her voice.

“It didn’t matter. I thought he was lying.”

She sighed. “So, you got weak yesterday because you hadn’t energy sourced in a while?”

“Yeah.” I chewed around the tasteless food. Wait, tasteless? I took another bite. Sure enough, I couldn’t taste the food. “Does this taste flavorless to you?”

“No! It’s exploding with flavor. You did well.”

Great. Now I couldn’t even taste food.

“So, what will you do when we get back to Enceladus?”

I hadn’t thought about that. It wasn’t like we had an endless supply of evil aliens to eat. I shrugged.

“We’ll figure something out.” She rested her hand on mine.

I got up and came around the table. I kissed her passionately. How was she so perfect? How was she so accepting and compassionate and loving?

She stood up, not breaking contact. I picked her up effortlessly. Her legs wrapped around my torso and all the worry I had melted away. Kissing her was so relaxing. I could lose myself in it, like I did most of the time.

I set her down on one of the empty tables and laid on top of her. This was just what I needed right now. And from the way she grasped at my shirt, she needed it as well.

By the time we got back, everybody was asleep in the shuttle. Everybody except for John. He was outside on a milk crate, eyes silently looking every which way.

I thought about following Talia into the shuttle but I didn’t feel tired. It might have been the energy from that Rhean. I kissed Talia and sat next to John.

“How are you, Amelia?”

“I’m alright. You?”

“I’m okay, grateful things are going our way so far.”

Things were going our way. I didn’t know if that was good or bad. “Does the agent know where we are going tomorrow?”

“Hans? Not yet.”

Hans. So that was his name. “You could go get some rest. I’m not tired one bit.”

“You sure? How can you not be tired after today?”

I looked away. Maybe he would remember my energy sourcing.

“Okay, thanks, Amelia. I am very tired.”

I gave him a half smile as he entered the shuttle.

I exhaled, calming myself, briefly closing my eyes. Then I was staring at my father. I groaned out loud.

He grinned wide. “Hellooooo Stacia. Can’t wait to see you soon.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I’m not summoning you.”

He chuckled. “Notice that you’re not tired?”

I didn’t say anything. We were in his throne room once again. And once again, there was two thrones.

“Soon you won’t need to sleep, my darling. It will leave you just like your physical hunger.”

Šĉôt.

He read my mind and laughed. “Shit indeed, my dear. No sleep, no food. Whatever will you do?” he teased.

I rolled my eyes. “What do you want this time?”

“Just to say that I will see you soon.” He winked and transformed into his human form.

“I won’t summon you,” I said again.

He didn’t answer, just stared at me like he was trying to figure out what was going on inside my head. But he could read my mind?

“I have to go,” I said to my father, the Devil, for the thousandth time and left his world.

I opened my eyes to a skinny dog. It growled at me and I growled right back, sending it running away.