1: The Purple King
1702
Delanoe's fingers danced along the piano keys, he allowed the notes to infuse him, his instincts to guide him. There were those who dissected compositions, analysed them and strung the notes together in a vain effort to create their masterpieces. Delanoe had learned that was the worst way to create such work. If he dissected a cat and sewed it back together, would it be as grand? No, it would be lifeless, and so it was with their amateur works.
No, masterpieces were living breathing things to be nurtured, not dissected. This he had learned, and so he gave his work room to breathe, to grow, even if he did not fully understand the source of it.
But then, he in fact had a good idea the source of his inspiration of late. The naked beauty lying on his piano, gazing at him lovingly with her emerald eyes. Ever since they met he could not stop compiling pieces, just when he thought he had dried up of inspiration, this ethereal beauty came to him out of nowhere. This wanton and exotic goddess with a mysterious accent. Never had he been so in love, and it was the sort of wonderful love one felt when you realise the other was feeling the same way.
They had met in the city as he studied a year ago, but still he knew so very little about her. Apparently she was of a people to the east that were all gone now, making her a rare gem indeed. She went by the name of Nina, though Delanoe knew that was not her real name. But it mattered not, whatever her scandalous roots, Delanoe knew they were lovers.
Love is the death of loneliness, Delanoe decided. Of meeting the one who filled the void within you when you are alone with your thoughts. Never did he fill so enriched as when he was with her.
"Brother?" Delanoe gradually brought his music to an end when his sister walked in. She blushed upon seeing mademoiselle Nina on the piano, "Oh, forgive me mademoiselle."
"Nothing to forgive, Bernadette." Nina glided easily off the piano, "The female form is nothing to be ashamed of, despite what your local priest says." She circled behind Bernadette, taking her in, running a finger down the strings of her bodice, "Why you possess a fine form indeed, it is criminal to hide it away so under such dull fabrics."
For a brief instant, Delanoe felt a sense of foreboding, but he laughed it off, "Go help mother with the cooking sister, we shall be down shortly."
"Alas," Nina bemoaned, "I still have problems keeping my food down currently. I shall join you but shall not be partaking."
"Oh I do hope it is not a wasting illness." Bernadette felt Nina's forehead, recalled her nakedness, then blushed as she scampered off.
Delanoe laughed again and kissed Nina, "You are a shameless one Nina, it is what I love about you. Best put some clothes on lest you cause my poor mother's frail heart to stop."
Nina pouted, but went to retrieve the dress that cost more than what Delanoe earned in a year, perhaps several years. As she bent over and began slowly clothing herself, Delanoe drank her in. He was in love with her, but her presence did something else to him, something he found both wonderful and repulsive. He could not quite explain it. It was an eerie sensation that he could not shake away, such wondrous and hideous thoughts came unbidden when she was around.
Nina hooked her arm in his, "Shall we?"
******
Present
He was being watched, of that Levant was certain.
The woman gasped as he thrust into her, painted nails clawing against the alley wall in her ecstasy. She pushed her hips back to take more of him into her, not realising that every moment with Levant caused her mind to fracture that bit more.
Such was the consequence of being with a creature such as Levant, he could sense his prey's darkest, most depraved fantasies, play upon them to win them over so that he could feed in the act of lust. But too long in his presence and they would become broken nymphomaniacs, obsessed with fucking until it destroyed them. For he is what the mortals of this age call an incubus, or the Sumerian term of Irdu-Lili as his one time mistress preferred.
Levant thrust harder, although unsatisfying he had to make this fast. He had lured this one into the back streets after she emerged from the strip club where she worked, her miniskirt and crop top had made her predilections obvious without his abilities as an immortal creature of perversity. But it also meant it would not take much to drive her down the insane path. As a rule he fed only from those who were already nearly gone or needed to loosen up in their sexual repression. That his means of sustenance could cause harm was a constant torment for him, he had seen first hand the disastrous effects his prolonged presence could bring. Unlike the succubus who had somehow turned him, Kilili, he still cared for the well-being of innocents around him.
He sensed he was being watched again.
Levant paused in his feeding and turned, ignoring the stripper's protestations, but the alley was empty. Still, he was certain there had been something. He had never encountered any other of his kind, according to Kilili they were rare in the extreme. Apparently there are other supernatural creatures out there, but he had never encountered those either and, by all accounts, they avoided their sort since they were so depraved and dangerous. Still, whatever it was had left now. Levant turned to re-enter the stripper and finish his feast.
"Please dad," the stripper moaned tearfully, "Do me hard, I want it so badly it hurts."
"Fuck." Levant cursed, knowing she was on the cusp. If he hung around any longer she would be completely lost, he would have to leave without finishing lest she become mad with lust.
As fast as shadow, he left her screaming in frustration, her every shriek like a razor edge slicing across his blackened soul.
******