I could feel the questions burning inside of my chest, aching to get out, but I stifled myself and listened as best I could.
“I spiraled. I used the last of the money I had to go on a three-month binge of partying and booze and women, and when it was all gone, I wanted to kill myself. That was when my incubus found me.”
“Found you?” Dante shot me a look filled with shut up, and so I did.
“Anyway, it took a while for me to adjust to my new life. Quickly I found I was able to live as my old self despite not having my father’s money behind me, but I wanted to get back what I felt was mine. I used what I knew about business and my new powers to challenge my uncle and try and win back the company, but I didn’t know what I was really up against. I had no idea my uncle was a supernatural; an angelic, to be exact.
“What is an angelic? Do you mean… an angel?”
“No. I don’t. Anyway, my uncle was trying to dismantle the company and sell its remains to the highest bidder, but this was my family legacy. I knew my uncle had somehow managed to convince my father to keep me out of the will, maybe using magic. If I hadn’t become an Incubus I wouldn’t have known, probably wouldn’t have come back, which is exactly what my uncle was counting on. But I did come back, I confronted him, and we fought… I did what I had to do.”
“You killed him.”
Dante nodded. “When he died, I saw his essence floating above his body like fireflies, stardust, colorful and playful. I knew I’d see it, I’d been prepared for that moment, ready to resist the urge to take it and make it my own. I wanted to resist, but I couldn’t. Instead of letting the stardust dissipate I consumed it, made it a part of me.”
“Dante…”
He shook his head. “I changed, then. It wasn’t just the things’ powers I had stolen, I had also stolen some of its thoughts, its motivations. As the only remaining member of the family, the company passed to me. Instead of keeping it, allowing the blood-sucking thing to live, I liquidated it, shut the factories down, paid the employees two-years’ worth of their wages with the money, and kept the rest for myself.”
“And you think you did that because this thing, this angelic, was working through you even after you’d consumed it?”
He shrugged. “I was a bad kid. Spoiled, entitled, rotting, and I’d been given powers over people, powers I would have easily exploited; had been exploiting up until that moment.”
“And that’s why Leo hates you?”
“I was already his student by this point.”
“You were?”
“He’s the one who found me, brought me back to this place where he was assigned as my mentor. There were no incubi to train me, so the task fell to Leo.”
“That’s why he hates you…”
He nodded. “I knew what I was doing when I consumed my uncle’s energy. I’m a reminder of his failure as a teacher.”
I paused and exhaled a long sigh as I processed everything Dante had just told me. Around us, the countryside was in full bloom. Many of the fields and trees were snow-covered and barren, but it was all still beautiful to look at. Serene. peaceful.
“Alright, I have a ton of questions about how Leo was with you as a mentor,” I said, “But first… look, I don’t know how big a deal absorbing another supernatural’s energy is. I’ve never done it myself, I don’t know how it even works, but it sounds like a taboo. All that aside, you did something good after you absorbed the angelic’s essence. Also, that thing sounds like it was a bit of a dick, possessing people and making them do things against their will. If you absorbing it was wrong, then it possessing people was too.”
“That still doesn’t make what I did a good thing, or even something I’m proud of.”
“No, but it’s also not something you should hide from. You said yourself, you were a bad kid. You had every reason to turn out to be an asshole. You still are, kinda, but you could have been a lot worse, and now you aren’t. Do you have any idea how many bosses would give employees two years of their salaries just like that? None. I bet those people were pretty happy, not to mention the planet owing you a debt of gratitude for shutting down a massive oil conglomerate. That must have pissed some rich people off.”
“It did. I had people after me for months. I had to fake my own death to get away from it.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going to judge you, okay? Other people won’t either. Leo just wanted to get a rise out of you, and he got it because you like to pretend you’re mister perfect, like you don’t have vulnerabilities. We all do, Dante. They’re what make us human.”
Dante looked over at me, smiling. “When did you get so wise, all of a sudden?”
“I’m not wise. I just know what it’s like to live with skeletons in the closet. If Leo was expecting me to judge you, and distance myself from you, he was wrong. If anything…” I trailed off.
“If anything, what?”
It’s brought us closer together, I thought, but I didn’t say that. I couldn’t. Wouldn’t. “Don’t worry about it,” I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “I’m gonna watch some TV. Wake me up when we get there?”
Dante nodded, and I slipped my earbuds into my ears and settled into my seat to watch old episodes of some of my favorite shows until the battery on my phone dried up and I drifted off into a light sleep, aided by the purr of the engine and the gentle rumble of the wheels across the tarmac. Of all the things I had expected Dante to say to me, the story I just heard wasn’t one of them.
CHAPTER FOUR
I had spent more time sitting in planes, and had seen more countries, in the past few weeks than I had in all my years of living. What did that say about me as a person? It was easy to forget that the world was bigger than the US when all you knew was the city you lived in and the culture you were part of. I hadn’t gone far enough or visited enough places to feel like a travelled person, but I was definitely a little more cultured now than what I had been back in Seattle.
I wondered if when Vikram looked at me he saw someone with a closed mind; someone with a disadvantage in the academic arena which he was so strong in. I pulled my earbuds out of my ears and shifted a little closer to him. I had a window seat, Vikram was next to me, and on the other side of him was Raphael, his head turned up, eyes closed, mouth slack. The urge to take a picture and show it to him was powerful, but I resisted.
“What are you reading?” I asked Vikram.
He glanced over at me, then at the book. He half-closed it, and showed me the front cover; it was old and made of scuffed, scarred leather. “What do you see on the front?”
“There’s no title on the front, only a five-point star.”
“That’s because you aren’t a mage. Give me your hand.”
I offered my hand, and he took it. As he rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb, I started to notice something shimmering just above the book’s dust jacket; words were starting to form out of smoke, like a hologram, or an illusion. I concentrated on the words until they formed, then read them aloud. “An Arcane Account of Scandinavian Myths and Legends. Is that right?”
Vik released my hand, and the words became smoke again, then disappeared. “That’s right.”
“How did you do that?”
He grinned. “Magic.”
I shoved his arm. “You’re going to have to stop hiding behind that line and tell me about your magic sometime.”
“Maybe, but I like keeping you guessing.”
“Why?”
“Because you seem like the kind of girl who is used to getting what she wants, when she wants it.”
Watching him, I wondered if he knew what it was I really wanted. “Pfft, if that were true I’d have a fleet of sports cars, a mansion in Calabasas, and a private jet.”
“I’m sure you’ve had opportunities to make that happen.”
I shook my head. “Nah, all I’ve had are shitty parents, shitty jobs, and even shittier boyfriends.”
“We make our own lots in life. The only
difference between people who do well and people who don’t, is if they blame their past choices for the way they choose to live in the present.”
“I don’t think you know what it’s like to live where I grew up.”
“You’re right, I don’t, but in the short time I’ve known you I’ve learned a lot about you.”
“Really? Like what?”
“You’re resourceful, you’re intelligent, and quick on your feet. Those are powerful traits to have.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re also very beautiful.”
My cheeks flushed, and my chest warmed. “Well, thanks for that too.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m sure enough people say it, but I also know that you’re the kind of woman who never gets tired of hearing it.”
“That… is not incorrect.”
Vikram smiled. “Good.”
I turned my eyes on the book again. “So, are you going to tell me what’s in this book, or is that an arcane secret?”
“It’s not really a secret,” he said, opening the book again. “Mages like to do two things besides cast spells; they like to read, and they like to write. We’re like occult scientists, in a way; exploring the unknown and then documenting everything we find, even if it kills us.”
“I like the pioneering spirit.”
He nodded. “I do too. This book, for example, was written by a woman known only as Isabelle.” He flicked to the back of the book, where the pages—mostly filled with words and illustrations—suddenly became blank. I had never seen that in a book before. “Nobody knows her last name, or if Isabelle is even her real name. All we know is she died writing it.”
“Died writing it? How?”
He opened the last page and I began to read the elegant cursive writing. Isabelle wrote of a cave in Scandinavia that she was planning on exploring, an untold number of years ago. I almost couldn’t believe what I was reading, but as I understood it, she was tracking a beast; some kind of strange snow monster that, from her description, I assumed was the abominable fucking snowman.
“You think it killed her?” I asked.
Vikram nodded. “I think so. Everyone who’s ever read this book agrees. Some have tried to go looking for her, retrace her steps, but no one has ever come close to finding out what really happened.”
“But if she died in that cave she was about to go into, then how come you’re reading your book?”
“Because she’d enchanted the book to teleport itself back into her apartment in the event of her death. It’s a pretty standard spell for mages and their books of shadows. That is the only proof we have that she is dead.”
“That’s kind of awesome.”
“It is, isn’t it? Isabelle died doing what she loved, something I love, too.”
“What, hunting big snow monsters?”
He smiled and shook his head. “No, pushing the boundaries of magic, trying to find the truth between legend and myth. That’s one of the most fascinating things about being a mage; getting the gift of knowledge, and then using that knowledge to gain even more.”
“I’ve never been into really smart guys, but with that accent, you’re really making this work for me somehow.”
Vikram laughed and almost woke Raph up. Raph grumbled and smacked his lips, then stilled again. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said, lowering his voice.
“No, really, you have this air of confidence around you. I wish I had some of that sometimes.”
He frowned at me. “You’re pretty confident. I’ve never seen someone enter this supernatural life with as much attitude as what you have.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“What is it? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. I think I’m just nervous about London.”
“Anything in particular?”
I shrugged. “Everything, I guess. Meeting a new Keeper, having to talk about being the only succubus alive. What if they ask me questions I can’t answer?”
“I doubt that’s going to happen. They’re aware you’ve only recently came into your powers.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right, but I can’t help feel the nerves bubbling up. Maybe I should get a drink—or three.” I raised my hand to flag the air hostess coming down the aisle, but Vikram took my hand and lowered it.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I know how you’re feeling, but getting drunk won’t help. You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.”
“I’m rabble, Vik. They’re expecting rabble, so let them have rabble.”
“They’re not expecting anything. What you need to do is let yourself calm down and just be your usual funny, charming, ferocious self.”
“Ferocious, huh?”
“Yes. And if you really want something to take the edge off, then I can help.”
My chest tightened as the sudden realization that I hadn’t spent nearly as much time with Vik alone as I could have crashed around me. He had been the first guy I had really talked to. He’d shown me around the mansion, had brought me to the library, had given me books to read. Not only had I thought he looked hot in the shirt he was wearing, with his brown skin and his dark eyes, but his accent had driven me insane, and it was driving me crazy again now.
“You do?” I asked, the excitement building in my lower belly He nodded.
I didn’t wait for him to come to me—I went for him, urged forward by a desire to know what he tasted like, and when our lips met, he didn’t disappoint.
His lips were strong, but gentle. I could sense the kindness in him, the want to be good to me, generous. I could tell any woman he had ever been with had been lucky to have him, and all of this only by our lips touching lightly as they were. I sucked in a breath and moved more deeply into the kiss, my lips parting slightly, tongue searching for a way in, and he responded to me, placing a hand on my cheek and greeting my tongue with his. His breath was sweet, and warm, but something about it felt entirely different to any other kiss I had ever received.
There was magic in this kiss, and I didn’t mean that in a metaphorical sense. The magic flowing through him and into me felt cool, like taking a breath of snowy mountain air. This coldness filled me, but it didn’t stifle my desire, didn’t chill my insides, didn’t make me want to break away from the kiss itself. Instead I felt myself start to float, and relax for the first time in what felt like hours. The kiss only ended when the magic stopped, or maybe it was the other way around, I wasn’t sure.
My mind was clear, relaxed, and silent, and as I let myself slip back onto my seat, turning my head slightly to look at Vikram, who was watching over me with concern in his eyes, I felt the same thing happen with him as had happened with Liam; my perspective changed. We had kissed, now, and that meant something. A line had been crossed, one he couldn’t see and I was only vaguely aware of.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
A satisfied smile slowly crawled across my face. “You know what,” I said, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. “I think I am.”
CHAPTER FIVE
A private bus was waiting for us outside of London’s Heathrow airport, fueled up and ready to take us directly to wherever it was we would be staying. I didn’t know if we would be lodging at another mansion, or if it would be a charming townhouse, or even just a rec center with beds in it, but I didn’t care.
I took a window seat in the bus and let my head rest against the glass as we drove into the city proper, watching the light countryside roll by. Heathrow was about an hour’s drive from the inner city, but I didn’t mind. It was strange seeing just how closely the color and flavor of the British landscape mirrored my hometown of Seattle.
It was late by the time we landed, and the sun had long since fallen, but the thick mantle of clouds remained, blotting the moon out and rendering it little more than a faint impression of light against above the clouds. Though the scenery around the highway was dark, I could still see flickers of light wherever there were litt
le pockets of civilization, that was until we started reaching London proper, and there were only lights.
The bus took us right into the heart of the city, where the narrow roads were filled with black cabs, red double-deckers, and the kind of foot traffic you’d expect of a city as big as this one. The bus made a left turn near train station called King’s Cross, which I remembered only from having read the Harry Potter books, and took us along a quiet, single road which, surprisingly, wasn’t nearly as loud or as populated as the others.
Finally, we stopped beneath an orange streetlight. One by one, Leo, the Keeper, and then Dante stood to move out of the bus. The rest of the guys followed, with Aiden and I trailing behind. Stepping outside into the night, I was immediately greeted by the same kind of dry, internal cold I was already used to, being a Seattle native. It was like meeting an old friend, and it lessened the slight anxiety building in my chest.
In front of me was a large, black gate flanked on either side by tall, red brick walls topped with glass shards. On one of these walls was a gold plaque with the words Alexandria, est. 1726. Behind the walls, a large courtyard surrounded an old building that was also made up of redbrick with many dark windows. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought this to be some kind of actual school, with classrooms, chalkboards, and ridiculous uniforms.
“Guess this is the place?” I asked to Aiden, who was standing next to me.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Looks like it.”
I watched the Keeper approach the gate, roll up his right sleeve, and stretch his arm out, forearm facing the gate itself. He waved his arm up and down once, and then the gate opened, its hinges creaking. Lights also went on in the building, illuminating the dark windows and sending some light out into the courtyard before it.
We walked as a group along the short trek from the sidewalk to the front of the old school building. There was a cobblestone path beneath my feet covered in wet, brown leaves and dark green moss. A night owl hooted from within the mighty birch sitting just to the right of the path. In front of me, the door to the school opened, creating a rectangle of warm, golden light.
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