A mystery & a meal.

By David Gosnell

Silithes is a succubus on a mission. She's out to find out who the sick freak is who's been killing women in her town of New Orleans. And once she finds out who he is, she's going to make a meal out of him.

That is, unless he gets her first.

Silithes' mission takes on a different complexion when a young girl's life is on the line. The clock is ticking and this mystery has to be solved because now it's about more than just a nice snack.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Gosnell
• Release date: Nov 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311810892

David Gosnell

David Gosnell is a former ad-man, now full-time insurance adjuster who writes a bit to keep his sanity while working away from home. David is a terrible, but loud musician, a fair tennis player, and an avid fan and participant of fantasy MMORPGs. The Wielder: Betrayal is David's first novel. He is currently working on the second part of the third installment of the series - "Death Curse."

Book preview

A mystery and a meal

By David Gosnell

Published by David Gosnell at Smashwords

Copyright 2015 David Gosnell

Discover other titles by David Gosnell:

The Wielder: Betrayal

The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance

The Wielder: Death Curse (part one)

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter Index

Forward

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

Foreword

First, a big thanks to all the persons who voted for the character focus of this story on our Facebook page – The Wielder’s Place. We'll be reaching out for another vote on the next short.

This tale is set between the timeline of the first novel Betrayal and the second installment, Sworn Vengeance. The story's character focus is on the summonling succubus, Silithes.

Enjoy.

Chapter 1

She tousles her hair in the mirror, hoping to reach some perfection beyond what is already there. After that, she reaches her hand down across her breasts, bringing her nipples to full attention under her white, silken blouse.

She could do that by will, but a touch is so much better.

She knows he likes it when her breasts show out – Arthur MacInerny, her wielder that is. He always looks and then tries to act like he doesn’t. She really likes that he looks; it makes her feel that much closer to being with him.

But that’s something her wielder doesn’t want. As his summonling – that is, a spirit attached to his soul that he can summon into physical existence – she is entirely bound to his will. She is essentially his slave, his plaything.

But he doesn’t treat any of his summonlings that way. That’s good; she doesn’t care for the slave aspect of her condition. But she really wouldn’t mind being his plaything. You see, if a summonling is somehow able to hurt its master, it receives multiples of the harm inflicted. Should the wielder become unhappy with a summonling, there is an anxiety and distress that is almost unbearable. But on the other hand, should that summonling please her wielder, well that’s a really good thing. And should that summonling deliver physical pleasure…

She reaches over for the folder with the information she wants to share with Arthur. She’s been researching. Researching because some events might be connected. That and she wants more than her usual hunt. She’s ready to satisfy her need for life energy the way one of hers is meant to – with a complete domination and devouring.

And she does enjoy solving a good puzzle.

Besides, the victim in this case would be a very, very bad man that really doesn’t deserve to live anyway.

In her opinion.

But she has to have Arthur’s approval for such a thing because he’s said no to her using her talents to that extent. Arthur is her wielder and has total control of her – though he doesn’t really exercise that control.

Mostly, he just trusts her to do as she says. She likes that. Except for the compelling that she is not allowed to full out seduce him. Given that the compelling is a will-bound order, she has no choice but to obey. Or figure a work-around.

But if that’s as bad as it gets, it’s not really that bad.

She picks up the folder and heads to the kitchen, knowing she looks like a million bucks and that Arthur will be waiting there. He just doesn’t know that he’s waiting for her.

She leaves her room, walks down the hall and finds exactly what she’s looking for – Arthur, reading his newspaper, just as she expected. His cup of coffee is half full, just as she expected. He’s wearing an oxford shirt and khaki pants, just as she expected.

But knowing that is no big deal; it’s about all he ever wears.

He looks up at her, his eyes moving to her breasts, then quickly away to her eyes; just like she knew he would. It makes her happy, but she doesn’t call him out on it.

If she did, then he’d never look.

She walks to the coffee pot to get her own and to give him a good look at her other side.

Well you’re dressed for success today, he says to her. And it appears you have some papers with you, too. You’re not planning a lawsuit for neglect, are you?

She smiles, her back to him while she prepares her coffee.

I should, with you willingly starving me and putting others in harm’s way, just because you can’t find a way to enjoy your succubus, she replies coyly. Then she turns around, beams a smile and takes a seat across from him, placing the folder between them.

Arthur folds his newspaper, sets it to the side, and looks from the folder to Silithes.

Well, okay. You have my attention. I’ve never been propositioned with documents before.

She smiles widely in recognition of the fact that she has propositioned him in so very many ways.

This is a different kind of plan, she says not continuing the thought, to add some intrigue and maybe a little suggestion, too.

Well, do share, he says back to her confidently.

She looks at him and a wave of desire washes over her. She wouldn’t need to resort to this plan if he’d just give her what she wants. It’s been over a month since she last went out hunting – that is, seducing then consuming the life energy that the willing participant gives off during the act. Her hungers were making themselves known the way they do: swelling, light throbbing, moistness, and the increase in desire. While the manifestations might seem like she is aroused, really it’s a reminder that she needs to take advantage of someone else’s desire, to her benefit.

She adjusts herself in the seat, the symptoms of her hunger reminding her the cure sits right across from her.

You got some kind of hungry going on there, Arthur says rolling back the cuff of his sleeve.

She grabs his arm and looks at him with a deadly look in her eyes. You are not sending me back to that forsaken place! Yes, I’m a little edgy. It has been a while. I do have needs. Needs, by the way, you could take care of quite pleasantly. But, I didn’t come here to ask for that. I have an idea to share with you.

My arm, please, he says, looking her straight in the eyes.

She releases him and says, Of course, trying to regain some composure. She doesn’t care at all for being sent back to the holding of the white, an endless nowhere where she spent untold years in a personal hell of self-loathing.

You sure you don’t want me to bounce you to the white? Just a moment; all the hunger’s gone. All will be good, Arthur says chipperly.

I can’t stand that damned place; you know that. I’d rather starve.

She recognizes that those words came out of her mouth just a little too caustically. She regroups saying, Sorry, you know how I feel about the white. Let me share what I found with you, please.

She pushes the folder out and opens it up.

Do you remember the mystery corpse they found partially burned two weeks ago? she asks him.

He looks at her curiously and says, Vaguely. Something about an attempted cremation and the skull survived.

Yes. But the interesting thing, Arthur, is whoever did this smashed her teeth first, so they aren’t able to identify her by dental records.

Arthur looks at her curiously. Go on. You have quite a few pages there.

She smiles back at him, curling her tongue over her teeth, coupled with a look intended to show she was so willing to reward him for his interest.

Damn, Sil, you do have a hungry going on don’t you? Is that what all this is about? It has been a while since you’ve been out and about. Is this perhaps the most creative way you’ve ever approached getting into my pants? I have to admit, I’m part wanting to hear the full pitch and part just wanting to get you taken care of.

Don’t you dare, she spits back at him, knowing full well he’s talking about sending her to the white again.

Why does he have to know me so well? she thinks to herself. Then she goes to the next page in her folder.

Maybe you remember this one, approximately two months ago. A partial skeleton washes up from Lake Pontchartrain. The skull has all its teeth smashed. DNA tests link it to Bethany Stillers, who disappeared two years before.

She looks at Arthur, who is riveted on the papers.

So, you are saying, he says.

She reaches into the folder and begins pulling missing-persons bulletins out, one by one – a total of 26. All of them are attractive girls with blonde hair. She pulls out one more, Bethany Stillers.

I think we have a predator, with a type he likes. After the skull had come up from the lake, he turned to cremating the remains to ensure no evidence was left, she tells him. He was interrupted at the last cremation. He’s cautious, wants no evidence to link him to them, or for that matter any evidence of them at all.

That’s quite a bit of conjecture, he says back, more testing than refuting.

She pulls out another page, This is a screen capture from the news coverage of the press conference. Look at the guys in the back. They’re FBI; see the badge? They know.

He looks up from the paper to her, Okay, besides the fact that you’ve linked a whole lot of possibly random stuff together, what’s the angle? What is this about? You want something. You always want something Silithes.

I want to hunt this killer and satisfy my hungers with him. He’s a predator. I am, too. There's no telling how many more he’s going to kill. It’s a win-win scenario: I get a satisfying life meal, and the community is safer. Plus, it’s kind of fun to work a puzzle.

She doesn’t like Arthur’s response. He’s shaking his head and looks quite disapproving.

Damn, you are hungry, Sil, he says right before he runs his finger across her sigil and says, return.

Her world blurs; then, she is surrounded by nothing but white. She is as she truly is, with wings, small horns, and a tail. Surrounded by white nothingness.

She screams