“What was that about, Mom?" Alex asked.

“I'm not sure," she said.

«I am,~ Althea said. Rachel bit her lip. For the first time in their acquaintance, Althea was scared. No. Not scared. Terrified. ~That man has been touched by a demon-spawn, and he is doing his bidding. Somehow he knows, Rachel. The demon knows who I am and he knows I am incapacitated. The only thing he doesn't know is where I am. Where my body is. And where my soul is. If he finds out either, he will kill me.

And by the time he is done, my death will be a welcome release.

~And he knows you and I are somehow connected. Oh, God, Rachel. I am so sorry.~

Our story thus far...

In "Idle Hands,"Althea, first among the succubi, was torn from her body by a foolish mortal. In desperation, she sought refuge in the mind of

Rachel Wainwright, a successful attorney. Weakened by the ordeal,

Althea knows the only way to return to her own body is to restore her power, which she receives by tapping into the sexual pleasure of others.

With this in mind she begins a slow seduction of her host, nudging

Rachel towards a more sexually adventurous lifestyle. At the end of

“Idle Hands" she has seduced her intern, Jeremy Edwards, and has also attempted a reconciliation with her former husband, Joshua. Meanwhile, her children find her attitude towards them softening, as Rachel becomes resigned to the fact that Sarah wishes to attend culinary school, while Alex wants to become an actor.

The story continues in "The Devil's Playthings." In a heroic courtroom scene, Rachel makes an impassioned argument for the future of the earth in a case involving corporate pollution. In a stunning verdict, the polluters are fined an astronomical sum, one third of which will go to

Rachel's Law firm. She decides to use her bonus to semi-retire from her work as an attorney, instead choosing to do pro bono work as she sees fit.

At the same time, sexual urges are beginning to manifest in Rachel's home. Driven by a compulsion she can't explain, she makes a full-time job offer to her maid, Maria, with the caveat that she must dress attractively around the house. Maria, for her part, Looks on the offer

(with a substantial increase in salary and the prospect of a rent-free apartment above Rachel's garage) as the answer to her prayers. When her husband, Joshua, returns home, he finds his daughter, Sarah, strangely flirtatious. The only person who seems immune thus far is Alex.

During dinner one night, Rachel and Joshua agree to let the kids pursue their career goals without interference. Sarah will attend culinary school. With the help of his parents' connections, Alex will transfer from his dead-end community college into the theater department at

Northwestern University

“The Devil's Playthings" ends with Rachel and Joshua reconciling.

Driven by admiration of Josh's artwork, which graphically depicts their love for each other, including the night Alex was conceived, Rachel performs oral sex on him. Later that night, they make love for the first time in months. At the moment of her orgasm, Rachel falls unconscious. When she wakes, she finds herself in a beautiful, pastoral scene, where she is greeted by a gorgeous woman who introduces herself as Althea, a succubus who has been sharing her mind.

In “Dark Reflections" we learn about Althea and her history. She is the firstborn of the succubi - a scion of Lilith, Adam's first wife, and one of the Fallen, an angel named Imriel who refused to fight for God during the War in Heaven, when angels rebelled against the Almighty.

Exiled to Earth, Imriel and others Like him mated with human women and men, siring the Line of the succubi, who were charged by God to remain vigilant against the Forsaken, those demons who fought against God and were cast into Hell.

Rachel, now aware of the immortal being who shares her body, learns to live with the fact. Her reconciliation with her husband is a joy to her. At the same time, she notices that Althea is having an effect on all the members of her household. Maria and Alex, recognizing the compatibility of their natures, make love for the first time in Maria's apartment. And Rachel learns that her husband and daughter are drawn to each other as well. Rather than being outraged, she considers how to bring two of her Loved ones together without damaging either.

The story continues in “Bright Shadows." At a family cookout which

Jeremy attends, Sarah finds herself strongly drawn to the attractive young intern. She tries to seduce him, but her advances only succeed in driving him away in confusion. Young, hurt, and frustrated, she is consoled by her parents. Driven by love rather than lust, Sarah and