by Deanna Chase
And then, just as I thought my magic was going to combust and rip me apart right there in her living room, a shimmer of red-tinged light outlined Dayla’s body and spread, encompassing Kane until they were locked together in a magical cocoon.
Fiona waved a hand, releasing me, and somehow took all my built-up magic with her. I slumped forward, totally spent and unable to even reach the faintest spark of magic.
“Hey!” I cried and ran forward but was so weak my feet didn’t obey. I flailed forward and crashed into the loveseat headfirst. “Shit!”
“Settle down, Jade,” Fiona said in a soft tone that was full of calming energy and a twinge of magic. The combination filtered into me, achieving exactly what she’d commanded. I could have staved it off if she hadn’t just wiped all my energy from me. Instead, I was at her mercy. And dammit, that was unacceptable.
“What the hell is going on here?” I demanded. “What is she doing to Kane? And why did you attack me?”
Fiona held out a hand to help me up. “My apologies, sister witch. It wasn’t my intention to overpower you. Dayla and your Kane are in an energy bond right now. If you’d interfered, it would have been dangerous for both of them.”
Her eyes were apologetic, and through her touch, I felt the heavy weight of her regret. She hadn’t wanted to spell me, but she’d done what she thought was best for everyone.
“Don’t ever do that again,” I said, not caring that she was remorseful. Kane was still snared in Dayla’s hold, certainly against his will. “We came here to help, not to be assaulted.”
“My sincere apologies, Ms. Calhoun.” Fiona’s tone and intent were sincere. I struggled to get past my fear and outrage in order to understand what was going on.
“What is she doing to him?” I asked, fear lacing my voice. I swallowed it down. Now wasn’t the time.
“She’s giving him the tool he needs to bring Matisse home.”
“What?”
But she didn’t answer. She only turned and raised her arms high over her head and chanted, “Lilith, Goddess of the night, hear our call. We give you one of your sons. Awaken the gift within.”
The lights flickered once and then went out, leaving us in the dim glow of the red cocoon still holding Dayla and Kane together.
I wanted to run to him. To scream at these witches. To drag him away and break their hold on him. But they’d just called up a demon Goddess. And she’d responded. To interrupt now would have far greater consequences than whatever they were trying to accomplish. One did not tempt the wrath of Lilith.
I bit down hard on my cheek, keeping quiet, and forced myself to stay still. The red outline grew brighter and then the magic started to shift from Dayla to Kane, pulsing over him in the double rhythm of a heartbeat.
Tears burned my eyes. What were they doing to him? “Kane?” I said so quietly, I was certain no one heard me. But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, he turned and pierced me with a red gaze, all the molten chocolate gone from his gorgeous eyes.
I stood there in Dayla’s parlor, horrified. His face was contorted in an evil sneer and pure hatred stared back at me.
My breath left me in one long whoosh as the horror of what he’d become sucker-punched me in the gut. “You turned him into a demon!” I cried and ran forward toward Dayla, small shocks of magic finally sputtering through me.
But just as I was about to reach her, Kane’s arms came around me and pulled me to him, my back against his chest. He leaned down, his breath sending a tantalizing sensation straight to my toes. “No, Jade,” he said in his sexiest voice, the one he usually reserved for the bedroom. “Not a demon. An incubus.”
Chapter 7
The world stopped. Blood rushed to my ears and everything went hot, then cold. Kane’s warm breath sent shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes and fought against the unwanted and untimely desire claiming me. Kane’s touch was too much and my response entirely too inappropriate.
“Let her go, Kane,” the older witch commanded.
Kane’s grip tightened around me, and Lord help me, I could feel his arousal at my back.
“Let go,” I said in a harsh whisper, twisting my head to stare up at him.
His irises flashed from that crimson back to deep chocolate and then shock flashed through his wide eyes. He released me and jumped back, rubbing a hand down his face. “What the hell just happened?”
I gaped at him, totally at a loss for words. Had he really said incubus?
“You’re here to figure out how to rescue Matisse, are you not?” Dayla said coolly.
“I…” Damn if I couldn’t get any words out.
Kane straightened. “Why did I say I’m an incubus?” His tone was clipped, dangerous. And deeper than usual.
A tremor of fear took up residence in my gut. His eyes had gone back to their normal color, but there was something…different about him. He seemed taller somehow. More alluring in a way that made me want to reach out and touch him. Almost as if I craved the feel of his skin. My neck started to tingle where I’d felt his breath.
“It was not my wish to force this on you,” Dayla continued in her pleasant tone. “I was afraid if you’d been given a choice, you would’ve walked out, and I couldn’t let that happen. Matisse is my niece. Losing her is not an option.”
“Wait just a goddamned minute,” I yelled, totally losing my cool. “We came to you because we want to help her. Not so you could put a dangerous spell on Kane and treat us with zero respect. How dare you do this? I demand you reverse it right this instant!”
“Zero respect?” Dayla got to her feet and stalked over to me, stopping only when she was invading my personal space. “I just unlocked a very powerful gift in your mate that will likely be the only thing that will help you bring Matisse home. And if I’ve been less than welcoming, it’s because your kind generally do not care for our form of magic.”
Unlocked a gift. She’d used magic, but it wasn’t a spell. It was permanent. My mouth went dry. Kane was an incubus. What would that mean for us? I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the fact that I was painfully aware of Kane’s proximity. It was as if his physical presence called to me. I cleared my throat, focusing on the other bit of information she’d just given me. “What kind of magic is that?”
She glanced once at Fiona. Her daughter nodded, answering the unspoken question. Dayla fixed me with an unapologetic stare. “We are sex witches.”
I raised an eyebrow as if to say so what?
She pursed her lips. “That doesn’t bother you?”
I shrugged. No wonder they knew about dreamwalkers. Being sex witches and all. This type of lore would be strong in their family line.
Kane wrapped his hand around mine. A tingle started in my fingertips and crawled lazily up my arm. Warmth spread through me and I shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed that Kane’s presence was having such an effect on me.
Dayla lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Most witches think using sex to gain power is wrong.”
She’d said it as a statement, but the way she was looking at me, it was clear she wanted to know what I thought. “Who am I to say if it’s wrong? As long as your sex partners are—” I cleared my throat in an effort to keep my emotions in check. “As long as your partners are willing and are aware of any consequences, I don’t see how it’s any of my business.”
Dayla studied me and then slowly her lips turned up into a friendly smile. But I wasn’t yet ready to let bygones be bygones.
“However. This—” I pointed at Kane “—changing him against his will…that’s a hell no. And if you ever touch my fiancé again, you’ll have me and the entire New Orleans coven to contend with.”
Dayla folded her hands into her lap and met my eyes with an impassive stare. “I didn’t change him. This is who he is. All I did was transfer a bit of magic to him in order to ignite the d
ormant incubus slumbering inside him.”
“You did change me. Without your magic, I wouldn’t be an incubus,” Kane said, steel in his tone.
I shifted, logging all of Kane’s gorgeous features. Smoldering eyes, full lips, fuller than they had been. Slim waist, broad shoulders, angular jaw, and the sexy dark eyes. He took my breath away. And even though I hadn’t known it was possible, I wanted him more than ever. I was drawn to him in some mystical way that had my neck tingling again and I longed to touch him…everywhere.
I shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me? I was sitting in a stranger’s living room—a woman old enough to be my grandmother—and here I was getting worked up about how much I wanted Kane. It was sick.
“It would’ve happened sooner or later, Kane. Dreamwalkers have an inner incubus that lies dormant unless tapped. It’s a lot like Jade’s powers. From what I understand, she didn’t know she was a white witch until recently. It was only a matter of time before your gift was unlocked. I just helped it along.”
I tightened my grip on his hand, a silent request for him to remain calm. I clamped my mouth shut. This argument wasn’t going to change anything anyway.
“Let me start again.” Dayla took one of my hands and one of Kane’s and led us into the kitchen. “Have a seat.”
We sat at the bar and waited while she filled two glasses of ice water. Unfortunately the stools were so close together our thighs touched, making my entire body ignite with want and need. I shifted quickly, doing my best to put a tiny bit of distance between us. “Don’t touch me right now,” I whispered to him.
He stared down at me and took a deep breath.
I licked my lips and hated myself for it when his expression turned to one of pure hunger. I twisted and clasped my hands in my lap, refusing to look at him.
“I know this is frustrating,” Dayla said with a knowing laugh as she set the water glasses in front of us.
I narrowed my eyes at her and glared.
Totally unfazed, she took a sip of her own water. “Matisse is a sex witch. About a month ago she got involved with a young man, Vaughn Paxton. Only it turns out he wasn’t quite what he seemed on the surface. And when he got what he wanted, he left, leaving her so depleted of magic, she spent weeks on medical leave.”
“Not what he appeared to be?” I echoed. “Was he a witch? He’d pretty much have to be in order to steal her magic.”
Kane shook his head. “No. He was an incubus.”
“Yes,” Dayla confirmed. “He was.”
I twisted to eye Kane, not at all sure what to say. “How did you know that?”
“I don’t know,” Kane said, frowning. “When Dayla said his name, something in my mind clicked, like a veil lifted, and I just knew it to be truth.” He got up and paced.
As I watched him, I couldn’t shake the image of his eyes glowing red and the evil on his face when Dayla had unlocked his power. My body went cold and I shivered.
He stopped and faced me. “What’s wrong?”
I cleared my throat and whispered, “You’ve been turned into an incubus. A sex demon.”
His expression tightened with frustration. “Incubi aren’t sex demons. We aren’t demons at all.”
“He’s right,” Dayla confirmed. “Just like you aren’t an angel. Incubi can take power that’s harnessed from someone else through sexual energy. And they can dreamwalk and jump the planes from world to world without too much trouble.”
She’d given him the power to harness magic. More specifically, my magic. Because who else was he going to get power from? Irritation filtered through me, but a knot in my gut eased. At least he wasn’t a demon. Still, she’d overstepped her bounds. “You should have discussed this with us first.”
Dayla ignored my hostile gaze and walked to Kane’s side. She scanned his body, studying him. Glancing back at Fiona, she said, “It worked.”
Fiona crossed her arms over her chest. “Jade’s right. You could’ve asked him first.”
The older woman appraised her daughter with skepticism. “Is that what you would’ve done?”
Fiona flinched at her mother’s words. But when she spoke, there was conviction in her tone. “Yes. It would’ve been the right thing to do.”
Dayla tsked. “And this is why you’ll never be the leader of this coven.” The older witch turned to Kane. Her voice took on the authoritative tone of one who was used to being in charge. “I’ve given you the gift of the incubi. You will gain power through sexual energy. And with this power you are connected to all the other incubi in existence. That is how you’ll find Vaughn Paxton, the incubus who raped Matisse of her power.”
“Raped?” I gasped and sank to the couch, horrified. An incubus had raped that lovely girl.
“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Fiona walked across the room and touched a black-and-white picture hanging on the wall. “My mother is being melodramatic.” She plucked the framed photo from the wall and held it out so we could see it. A tall, light-haired woman with quiet elegance stood with a tall, dark-haired man. His intense eyes and hint of a smile gave him an air of mystery. The absolute passion in the way they were looking at each other was enough to bring my temperature up a few degrees.
“Whoa.” I glanced at Dayla, realizing the woman was a much younger version of her. “You two look like you had quite the romance.”
“None of this is relevant.” Dayla scowled and tried to take the picture, but Fiona pulled it out of her reach.
“It is.” The younger witch put the picture on the counter and turned to me and Kane. “The man in the photo was my father. He and my mother had a whirlwind romance. One for the record books. They were even married. But a week after the wedding, he disappeared. With most of Mom’s power.”
“He was an incubus,” I guessed, putting two and two together.
“Yeah,” Fiona said quietly. “He didn’t even know. But after they…uh, consummated the marriage, his incubus side awakened and he was called into service.”
“Service?” Kane asked. “To do what?”
The image of a brothel or a bath house flashed through my mind. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the ridiculous thought.
“Hunt demons,” Dayla said, cutting Fiona off before she could speak again. “The incubi spend their lives protecting this world from demon invasions. The only complication is they need a sex witch to awaken their power before they’re pressed into service. Max didn’t know about his calling. And after we…well, after he was with me, he was called.” She perched on the edge of her chair. “Neither of us knew what happened. I was left almost broken. It took years for my power to restore itself because we were kept apart. And that’s what happened to Matisse. Your job is to find Paxton and take him to her. He’s the only one who can help her get her power back.”
“And that’s why you did this to me?” Kane demanded. “You turned me into a demon hunter? Jesus. We have other ways to find people these days.”
Dayla leaned against the counter and regarded him. “Incubi walk in the shadows, Mr. Rouquette. Hiring a private detective or running an Internet search isn’t likely to help you. Incubi are notorious for slipping in and out of this world. Even if you did track him the traditional way, he’d likely disappear before you caught up with him. With what I’ve given you, you’ll be a part of the inner circle and will be able to track him from within.”
Kane didn’t say anything. He just studied Dayla.
I stood and held my hand out to him. We’d learned a shit ton of information in a very short time. It was no wonder he seemed to be at a loss for words. I almost was. But I sucked in a breath and asked, “What does this mean for Kane? And is this curse permanent?” I assumed so. She said she’d unlocked his power, but I had to ask.
“Oh, honey.” Fiona laughed. “It most certainly isn’t a curse for you as long as he doesn’t drain your power.
” She gave me a sly smile. “You’re a white witch, so I imagine you can hold some back. But the more magic you can share with him, the better off he’ll be as a demon hunter.”
Was she seriously sitting there telling me my sex life was about to get explosive? Judging by the effect he’d been having on me since Dayla had tagged him with the spell, she probably wasn’t wrong. But I sure as hell didn’t want these strangers talking about it. “Umm, okay. Thanks for the warning.”
Kane placed a hand on my knee, sending tingles everywhere. “You didn’t answer her other question. Is this permanent? Is there a way to change me back to who I used to be?”
“That all depends,” Dayla said and waved for us to follow her. When she got to the front door, she pulled it open. “Once Matisse is back home and whole again, we’ll see what we can do.”
“Mother!” Fiona admonished, her expression truly horrified. She turned to me. “I’m so sorry, Jade. This isn’t how we normally do things.”
I ignored Fiona and focused on Dayla. “Blackmail? Is that how you want to play this?” My magic stirred in my chest and I had to fight to keep from throwing a bolt at the older witch. “No wonder Bea doesn’t trust you.”
“Beatrice can go to Hell,” Dayla said. “And don’t forget to tell her I said so.”
“Jade.” Kane touched my arm. “It’s time to go.”
His dark gaze was serious, focused, and when his fingers curled around my wrist, hot electricity shot straight to my center, almost bringing me to my knees. I closed my eyes, trying to get a hold of myself. His effect on me was damned inconvenient.
“We have what we came for,” he said.
“Looks like we got a lot more than that,” I muttered. Turning back around, I met Dayla’s hardened stare head on. “Stay out of our way, and if you ever touch Kane again, it really is going to be full-out war. Got it?”
Dayla’s lips curved into a self-satisfied smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” And before I could say another word, the door slammed closed, rattling the old windows.
