Bedtime Story

Bristol, July 15th, 1993 

She was really a bit too big to be carried to bed, but Faran did it anyway. He had missed out on eight years of her life and he was keen to catch up. Besides, she weighed nothing and he was reasonably strong. Her mother, and a couple of doctors, had worried over her weight, but Faran had taken one look at her and said that she was a little plump for a typical half-succubus child. 

She did have slim arms. They were wrapped tightly around his neck now, her face pressed against his shoulder. Her hair was a vibrant chestnut, cut short to keep it out of her face. It was more or less the same colour as his was right now, the colour his mother had chosen for him when they had first met. Metaphysical genetics were an odd thing. 

'It's time for bed, little Lilith,' he said as he lowered her onto the mattress. 

She pulled the covers up over her legs and looked up at him with her big, black eyes. Her chubby cheeks were split by a wide smile. 'Story first!' she exclaimed. 

He sagged visibly; it was part of the ritual. 'It's late and you have school tomorrow.' 

She pouted. He had a deep suspicion that she was going to be able to melt strong men with that pout when she grew up. 'Pleeeease,' she whined. 

He settled onto the corner of the bed and, giggling, she snuggled down, pulling the blankets up around her chin. 'What will it be tonight then? The Three Little Devim?' 

'You told me that last night.' 

'The Cherich who Ate the Moons?' 

'The night before.' 

'All right,' he said, 'I've got one I haven't told you.' Her giggle made his heart jump. 'Back when Gorefguhadget was Lord of All Demons,' he began. Sally had told him that human fairy tales started with "Once upon a time," but he preferred the proper start to these things. From the way Lilith was grinning, so did she. 'Way back then, on the shores of the Silver Lake, in the village of Shoshteffrif there lived a young succubus named Tef.' He looked at Lilith and said, 'That means "red" in Devotik.' 

Lilith looked thoughtful for a second as if memorising the word. Faran smiled. 'Now Tef was a very good little succubus and had learned all her lessons well. Her mother had told her that she should never go into the nearby Darkest Forest on her own. There were things in the forest which would prey on a little succubus.' He reached out and tickled Lilith's stomach through the blankets and she giggled happily. 'And one of the biggest, baddest things in the Darkest Forest was the Great Black Horg.' Lilith gave a little, open-mouthed gasp and her father grinned at her. 

'Now the Great Black Horg was big, and black, and it had huge teeth for biting, and a long tongue for tasting, and huge eyes for seeing in the Darkest Forest, and a huge nose for smelling out little succubi. Because the Great Black Horg just loved to find little succubi out on their own. And when he found a little succubi out on her own, he would pounce on them, and then he would eat them, and eat them, and eat them all up.' 

'There aren't any Horgs on Earth are there Daddy?' Lilith asked. She was trying to be brave and not quite managing it. 

'No, there are no Horgs on Earth, little Lilith. They can't cross over. Shall I go on, or are you getting too scared? Your mother will berate my mercilessly if you're awake all night with nightmares.' 

'No, please, I want to hear what happens.' 

'Well then, Tef's grandmother lived in a little cottage in the Darkest Forest, all on her own. She was a venerable old succubus and afraid of nothing, but she became ill and Tef decided that she should take some medicine to her aging relative. It meant going into the Darkest Forest, but Tef put on her blackest cloak and her mother told her that she would be safe, just so long as she stayed on the path to her grandmother's cottage.' 

Lilith's eyes were wide and attentive now. Faran was fairly sure that he knew that she knew that Tef would not stick to the path, but knowing and hearing were always two different things. 'Now, Tef was a good little succubus and learned her lessons well, and she went into the Darkest Forest along the path where the trees were wide, and she walked along ignoring the sounds she could hear and the glowing eyes she could see in the darkness. She walked, and she walked, and she kept on walking along the path until the forest grew darker and the path grew narrower, and she almost lost her way. And in the dark, dark forest, Tef put her foot down on the grass at the side of the path.' Lilith gasped at the horror of it; oh poor little Tef. 'And when she did that, the Great Black Horg knew that she was there, because he could smell her with his great big nose.' 

Small hands pulled the blankets up to Lilith's nose now and Faran had to suppress a smirk. 'But Tef quickly returned to the path, and the Horg could not touch her there, and he knew it too. He could see Tef with his great big eyes, and he knew that she was a good little succubus, who had learned all her lessons well, and she would not stray from the path again. But he could also see that she was the prettiest little succubus he had ever laid his great big eyes upon, not unlike a little Lilith I know.' Faran's only daughter grinned and giggled from behind the blankets. 'Oh yes, she was the tastiest looking little succubi he had ever seen, and he could not wait to taste her with his big, long tongue. So the Great Black Horg, he hatched a plan. 

'Quickly, on his long legs, the Horg ran ahead of Tef, and got to her grandmother's cottage first. Now, the Horg was not fond of older succubi so he tied up Grandma and stuffed her in a cupboard and then he climbed into her bed and hid beneath her bed robes to wait for tasty young Tef to arrive.' 

'But he didn't hurt Granny did he?' Lilith squeaked from under the blankets. 

'No, dear, he didn't hurt her. But he lay in wait for Tef who was the tastiest looking little succubus he had ever laid his big eyes upon. Tef arrived at the cottage and she went to the bedroom to give her grandmother the medicine. There in the bed was the Great Black Horg and the Horg said, "My, my, my, what a fine young succubus you have grown into, little Tef." Now Tef was a good little succubus who had learned all her lessons well and she looked at the Horg in the bed, and she thought that there was something odd. And she said, "Grandmother, your nose is bigger than I remember," and the Horg replied, "I have a cold, my dear, sweet Tef." And Tef said, "Grandmother, your eyes are much bigger than I remember," and the Horg said, "My cold has made my eyes swell, my dear, sweet Tef." And Tef said, "Grandmother, your teeth are much bigger, and your tongue much longer than I remember," and the Horg said, "Ah, but that's because I'm the Great Black Horg and I love the taste of sweet, young succubi!"' 

Lilith's eyes grew as round as saucers and she tugged the blankets even higher. Faran smiled at her and went on. 'But Tef was a good little succubus who had learned all her lessons well. She knew just what to do. She grabbed the blankets and pulled them back, and she said, "My, what a big boy you are, Great Black Horg." Then she pounced upon the Horg, and she ate him, and she ate him, and she ate him all up.' 

The blankets were pulled back from Lilith's face and she grinned and giggled happily. 'When I grow up, I'll be a good little succubus, Daddy.' 

'I'm quite sure you will, little Lilith.' Standing, Faran stepped closer and gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead. 'And good little succubi who learn all their lessons need to get their sleep.' 

Lilith giggled again, and turned on her side, and snuggled down under her blankets. Faran smiled and turned out the lights. When he looked back, his daughter was fast asleep, just like a good little half-succubus should.