“That’s the real reason you’re here,” Simon said.

“Come again?”

“You’re not here to tell me. You’re here to show me. Multiple natures. You’re here and there and not here and not there. It’s a gorram paradox. Metaphysics 101.”

“Yet it’s taken you long enough.”

“I’m a dual-nature being,” Simon said, almost to himself. “Flesh and soul. The succubus is a tri-natured being: flesh, demon and god.”

“And some natures,” War said, “get along better than others. Flesh and soul is good, gets along like a disciplined regiment. But flesh, demon, and god? Goes together like jungle camo in a snowy plain.”

“All I have to do,” Simon said, “is get her to fall apart.”

“Need to ask me how, kid?”

Simon laughed. He hadn’t felt this good all night. The fear wasn’t gone, but it was as brightly-lit as everything else.

“Oh, I got lots of ideas.”

“Good boy,” War said. He started to vanish and changed his mind. “Oh, one more thing: reinforcements are in the sewer.”

“What?”

But War wasn’t there anymore.