by Deanna Chase
He cast me a sympathetic glance that only served to piss me off. “Come into my office and I’ll explain.”
Reluctantly, I followed the man because if nothing else, I was going to get answers.
Chapter 13
Matisse
The last thing I remembered was being joined with Vaughn, magic pulsing around us in a heady stream of power. It had been intense, freeing, and I’d been completely in the moment, giving myself over to him. I’d loved it. And when we’d come together, something had exploded inside me and set my magic free.
But then as the elation of incredible sex had started to fade away, my head started swimming and my limbs became weak. I’d reached for Vaughn, but my strength was gone.
Everything had gone black.
I don’t know how long I faded in and out of consciousness, but when I did finally wake, I was still in Vaughn’s bed and my mother was hovering over me.
“Mati?” Her light blue eyes were narrowed and shining with concern.
“Mom?” My voice sounded far away. “What’s going on? Where’s Vaughn?”
She ran a soothing hand over my brow. “He had to go, love. Don’t worry about him right now.”
“Tell the girl the truth, Maven,” Dayla, my aunt, said harshly. “She has a right to know.”
I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus on Dayla, but she was only a blur. “Tell me what?”
“Never mind that now.” My mom’s tone was full of irritation. “There’s plenty of time to fill her in later. It’s not like he’s coming back.”
That made me sit up. The world spun as the sheet fell, leaving me exposed to my mother and aunt. I clutched at the sheet and huddled back down in the bed. “Can someone get me my clothes?”
“They’re right here,” Mom said. “Let’s get you dressed and take you home.”
I was too weak to argue and let my mom help me get dressed for the first time since I was six years old. Before long, they had me tucked in Mom’s Range Rover and then we were flying through the streets of New Orleans on the way back to the Pointe. I stared out the window, clutching my chest. The emptiness claiming my insides was almost too much to bear. Tears burned the backs of my eyes. And I did nothing to stop them from streaming down my face.
When we pulled up in front of Mom’s house, Dayla took one look at me and swore. “Look at what he’s done to her. Tell her everything right now, or I will.” She turned to me. “Matisse, pull yourself together. You need to be strong now.”
Mom sent her a dirty look. “Give her five minutes. Jeez.” Mom took me by the hand and led me to her guest room. “Lie down and I’ll bring you some healing tea.”
I climbed on the bed and curled up into a ball. There was no fight in me. There was nothing.
Sometime later, Mom came back, holding a tray with tea and some soup. “How are you, baby?”
I peered up at her. Mom wasn’t the coddling type. I didn’t think I’d ever heard her call me baby. Not even when I was a little girl. “What is it?”
She set the tray down and blew out a breath. “How long have you known Vaughn?”
“Just a few days. Why?”
She shook her head, her expression skeptical. “That’s all?”
“Yes.”
“It’s even worse than I thought.” She stood and paced the room, her bare feet silent on the wood floors.
I rolled over to my back and stared up at her.
“You’re not going to like this,” she said.
“Well, with a buildup like that…”
She chuckled, then sobered as she sat next to me. “Vaughn is an incubus.”
“Umm… what?” Did she just say what I thought she did? I tried to scramble so I was sitting up, but my arms were too weak and my head too heavy. Giving up, I flopped back down on the bed and hugged a pillow. “I had sex with a demon?” I whispered, utterly horrified.
“Oh, no.” She wrapped her warm hand around my cold one. “He’s a descendant of a demon, which makes him predisposed to be an incubus, but the only way to awaken that side of him is to have sex with a sex witch.”
I frowned, confused. “Having sex with me turned him into an incubus?”
“Yes. But it’s not just the sex. He must have gained your trust somehow.”
Well, he had. I’d opened up to him and shed my guards. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything. You had to have given him some of your magic in order to ignite the shift from human to incubus.”
Dread filled all the empty crevices in my chest. I had done that. I’d thought I’d been letting the magic build for myself. That afterward, I’d have plenty of reserves. And instead, he’d stolen it. And then left me for dead.
The bastard!
When I saw him next, I’d kill him. Rip his heart out and feed it to the gators. No wonder he’d been so hell-bent on saving me from the demon. He needed me for his own devious plans. I’d opened myself up for the first time, and he’d taken advantage of me in the worst way possible. He’d stolen the most important part of me. My magic.
“How do you know this?” I asked her, my voice getting weaker by the moment.
Dayla, whom I hadn’t even known was in the room, came into view. She placed her palm on my cheek and stared into my eyes. “Because, darling. It happened to me once. Incubi need sex witches to complete the change. And they’ll do whatever they have to in order to make it happen. Including breaking your heart.”
She knew. She understood what I’d given up without my knowledge.
“Sleep, my lovely niece. We’ll talk more when you get your strength back.”
I wanted to ask more questions. Wanted to know everything about what had happened and how long it would take to recover, but I couldn’t. My eyes closed and the world faded away.
***
I spent three and a half weeks on bed rest. The night I’d spent with Vaughn had taken more than my magic. He’d taken away my ability to live any sort of normal life. I slept twenty hours a day for the first week. I couldn’t concentrate on my schoolwork and ended up taking an incomplete in all my classes. I’d have to retake them all.
Plus my power was all but gone. Replenishing it would require sleeping with someone else. That was the last thing I wanted to do. It was almost as if I had PTSD. Even after I built up a little strength, I had no interest in trolling for a sex partner.
The day after I moved back into my apartment, I was sitting on my couch shoveling ice cream in my face when a knock sounded on the door. I didn’t even look up. Whoever it was could just go away.
But no matter how much I ignored the knocking, the person wouldn’t stop. Finally I got up, wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, and flung the door open. “What?”
Chessa stood on my porch, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. “Is this what your life is going to be now?”
I stared at her open-mouthed. Then, without a word, I spun and headed back to my couch.
She closed the door and followed me. “You can’t go on acting as if you’re not a witch.”
The coffee-flavored ice cream melted over my tongue. Swallowing, I made a point of shoveling another large spoonful into my mouth.
She shook her head and sat in the chair across from me. “Are you going to let him ruin your life?”
I knew what she was doing. She wanted to get me so pissed that I got my fire back. What she didn’t understand was that my fire was gone. Stolen. I couldn’t help her. “There’s nothing left, Chessa.”
“There is. You just have to see your way through it.”
“Riiight. I’ll get right on that.” I dug into the ice cream, scooping up another large portion. “The only way I’m going to get my magic back is by sleeping with someone. And that’s not going to happen. Never again. Got it? I was used. Violated. And I’ll never put myself in that position again. So go back to the realm and find someone else to help you with the portal, because I’m out.”
She stood and placed her hands on her hips. �
�You weren’t violated. Not in the way you think.”
I jumped to my feet and got in her face. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, angel.”
Chessa blew out a breath, clearly trying to stay calm. “You can be as mad at me as you want to. I can take it. But I’m here to tell you the whole truth, not Dayla’s distorted view. I’m an angel. We devote our lives to fighting demons. That means I have a little better idea of what goes down, don’t you think?”
I shrugged. Maybe, but what did that have to do with Vaughn?
“Incubi are rare. When they are made—”
“You mean after they steal the magic of a sex witch?” I said dryly.
“Well, that’s one way to look at it. But not all of them know that’s what they’re doing. You can’t know if Vaughn was using you or if you just happened to connect. A man who is predisposed to become an incubus has a sexual energy that’s hard to ignore. Just like a sex witch. Though sex witches know this about themselves and use it to their advantage.”
“Hey!” I tossed my spoon down. “I was out gathering magic for your project. Don’t judge me.”
“I’m not.” She stepped back, clearly offended I would think such a thing of her.
Whatever. She had no idea what it was like to be me right then.
“I’m saying he might not have known. All of this might have been as big of a shock to him as it was to you. That’s all.” She backed up and clasped her hand over the doorknob. “Think about it, Mati. Who targeted whom?”
Startled, I jerked my head up and met her eyes. I had targeted him. He’d approached me only after I’d made my presence known. But… “If he didn’t know and this was all a massive mistake, then where has he been? He’s a tracker. If he wanted to find me, he could’ve.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. But wouldn’t it be better if you knew the truth?”
I averted my gaze. Did I want the truth? What if everything I feared was true? What if it wasn’t? Either way, was I going to sit on my couch for the rest of my life wallowing in my Blue Bell ice cream? Seeing Chessa standing there and treating me as if I weren’t broken lit a fire in my belly. Was I going to let him ruin my life? Eff that. I glanced back up and met her penetrating gaze. “I have someone I can call. I’ll have my magic back in a few days. Come back then. I’ll be ready to work.”
“That’s not—”
“It’s all you’re getting.” I didn’t want to sleep with anyone, but if I was honest with myself, I missed my magic. Was lost without it.
She let out a long breath. “I was going to say I didn’t come here to put you back to work. I came to make sure you’re okay. But do what you have to do.”
I plucked at the blanket. “Chess?”
“Yeah?”
“I have nothing. No school. No job without my magic. And even Ashley’s avoiding me right now. I don’t blame her. I’ve not been myself.”
She eyed the ice cream and snorted. “Some things haven’t changed.”
That made me smile. “Right, well… Anyway. I need something for me. And as long as I can get my magic back, I want to keep working with you.”
“Good.” She pulled the door open. “Call me when you’re ready.”
Chapter 14
Vaughn
I was in my new house unpacking my extensive book collection when the doorbell rang. I frowned. No one knew where I lived. And there was a spell on the house to keep strangers away. Who could possibly be on the other side of that door?
Maximus was my guess. That guy just wouldn’t leave well enough alone. No matter how many times I refused to join the demon hunters, he kept coming back. Why couldn’t he understand that I couldn’t commit my life to something that was only available to me by stealing magic from someone I cared about? The idea I was susceptible to becoming a demon bothered me, but I wasn’t willing to be ruled by fear.
I’d been by Matisse’s apartment a few times, but her friend had said she was with her mom for the time being. I hadn’t had the balls to go looking for her there. Call me a coward, but a house full of witches was more than a little intimidating. Besides, what I had to say to Matisse was private.
I crossed through the living room to the small entry of my Lakeview home and peered through the peephole. I recognized her immediately, with her dark hair and intense, dark eyes. Matisse’s mother. What was she doing here? And how had she found my new place? I pulled the door open and leaned against the frame. “Good evening, Ms. Ballintine. It’s a pleasure to see you.”
She frowned, clearly unhappy to be there. “Can I come in?”
I stepped aside, gesturing her into the entry hall.
She walked in straight to my empty living room. “No furniture?”
“It hasn’t been delivered yet.” I nodded toward the kitchen. “I do have stools, though.”
“Fine.”
I led the way and waited for her to sit. Her hostility should have put me off, but I found it more interesting than anything. It had been weeks since my night with Matisse. Why was her mother here now? Unless Ashley had been mistaken and Mati wasn’t getting stronger with each day. “How is Matisse? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Or will be. And that’s why I’m here.”
I hated myself for hurting her. It didn’t matter that it had been unintentional. I was gutted by the knowledge. “What can I do?”
“Nothing.” Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. “That’s what I came to say. I know you’ve gone by her place at least once. Do me a favor and stay away. Nothing good can come of a visit from you. You’ll only make matters worse.”
“I need to apologize,” I said. “I don’t want to do anything to harm her. Quite the opposite, and she deserves to hear what I have to say.”
“Maybe she does. In that case, put it in a letter.” She stood. “Because if you go see her now, I’m fairly certain she’ll have a mental breakdown. But not before she tries to spell your dick off.” Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if she hadn’t just mentioned Matisse castrating me. “Got it?”
I nodded, not at all sure what I was supposed to say to that. But if Matisse really was that angry with me, if I did show up now, it would only serve to delay her healing. I could and would wait it out. “For now.”
“What does that mean, for now? Haven’t you done enough damage?”
“No doubt. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to find a way to make it right someday.” Matisse’s mother could think anything she wanted. It wouldn’t change the fact that even after only two days together, I cared about her daughter. Cared more than I should.
She scowled. “There’s no way to make it right.” Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Never mind. Just stay away from her. If not, you’ll have me to answer to.”
“Understood.”
***
Matisse
It took me all day to make the damned phone call. It shouldn’t have been that hard. Sex wasn’t a big deal. At least it hadn’t been. Now? I felt differently. What I’d shared with Vaughn had changed me. Now sex held meaning. Just the thought of being with someone else made my stomach hurt.
But at the same time, if I was able to help Chessa close the portal and cut off the demons, she’d be safer. And just maybe that would mean there would be less need for incubi. Maybe it was stupid, but if I could save one sex witch from feeling as used and violated as I had, it would be worth it.
The fact that I was going to use Brandon was not lost on me. The best I could do was to be up front with him from the beginning. Make sure he knew this was only about the physical act in order to get strong again. As a witch, he’d understand what I meant.
The phone rang only once before he picked up. “Mati! What’s up?”
“Hey, you. Are you busy?” I held my breath. He could have a date… or even a girlfriend by now. It had been four weeks since I’d seen him.
“Not right now. Just sitting here thinking about going out for a beer. Why?”
I suc
ked in a nervous breath. The feeling was so unnatural. I was never nervous around the opposite sex. It was part of my gift. “I was wondering if you might want to come over for a while. I, ah… Damn. Look, I need to get strong and I’m not up for spending time with a random stranger.”
Silence.
“Brandon?”
He cleared his throat. “I’m here.”
“Did you hear what I said?”
He chuckled. “I heard you. Just took me a moment to process. I’ve never been propositioned like that before.”
“Oh, crap.” I sat on my couch and hung my head, keeping the phone pressed to my ear. “I’m sorry. Forget I even called. It was a stupid idea.”
“No!” Another pause. “I mean no, it wasn’t stupid. And it’s fine. We’re friends. Of course I can help you out. But are you sure you want me to come to your place? That’s unusual for you, isn’t it?”
Instead of relief, a strange trace of trepidation shuddered through me. But I shut my feelings down. This wasn’t about me and my desires. It was about getting healthy enough to go back to work. “I’m sure.” If anything went wrong, I didn’t want to end up naked and passed out in someone else’s space. Never again.
“Okay. What time?”
“Now?” Goddess. That sounded desperate. I bit my lip and waited for him to laugh.
But he didn’t. “Sure.” His voice had turned husky. “See you soon.”
***
Vaughn
After Matisse’s mother left, Mitch called. He had another job for me. I changed into dark jeans, a gray hoodie, and black boots. To someone who didn’t know me, I could be a student or I could be a drug dealer. Both were good cover options considering I was heading to Mitch’s neighborhood.
His house was in Mid-City, not too far from City Park. It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it wasn’t the worst either. The paint on his shotgun double was peeling and the porch sagged with years of neglect. It’s not a place I would’ve chosen to live, but if the rent was low enough, I guess the house and large yard afforded him some privacy.
I knocked once and then let myself in. The front room was virtually empty, not a stick of furniture in the place. “Mitch?”
