By the Enchantment of Moonlight

by Serena Gilley

  She shouldn’t tempt him this way.

  “It looks like we’re all alone here,” she said, hating herself even as she undid the top button of her blouse. “You don’t suppose we could sneak in for a dip, do you?”

  * * *

  Dex followed the air currents, hot and salty, as his disembodied wraith form drifted over the island. The few actual molecules that made up his mass were held loosely together. What was the point in using up his energy to maintain physical cohesion right now? It felt so good to simply relax.

  His mistress Miranda hadn’t returned yet from her trip back to the states, so he had some free time. All she required of him was that he keep his allegorical eyes open and watch for anything unusual. As if there were very many usual things here on Isla Escalda. It was safe to say that nearly everything here would be considered unusual by most people.

  Not that it mattered one way or the other to him. He was completely unaffected by the topless volleyball games, sensual massage parties, bondage play, and various ménage arrangements. He spent little time in a corporeal body, so things of a sensual, carnal nature usually meant nothing to him. Sure, when he did need to inhabit someone’s body in order to accomplish a required task for Miranda, he supposed he enjoyed some of the sensual activities. He never remembered much of it, though, when he was back in his usual form.

  That’s the way things worked for a wraith. Life had left him years ago; he was little more than a thin vapor of existence, a practically useless amoebic blob of formless energy. It was all he knew and there was no reason to regret. He simply felt nothing and he did what he was told.

  So, he let himself drift on the breeze, watching the greenery toss and churn below as tall branches and dense leaves swayed in the wind. He almost ignored it when he noticed a boat bobbing out in the blue mouth to one of their private coves. He recognized it as a local shuttle, hired to carry passengers from island to island. Not at all something a client of their island would make use of.

  An outsider. Miranda forbade outside traffic. No doubt, if she had been here her coastal guard would have already been out on their jet skis to chase these intruders away. With her gone, though, things had gotten a bit lax. It was always that way.

  Dex gathered his particles to become slightly more solid. This caused him to sink lower on the currents. He’d better check this boat out, just to make sure. Miranda had warned that there could be unwanted fairy activity in the area and she seemed kind of worried about that. Dex had promised to let her know if he sensed anything, but with all the magical things Miranda had going on around here lately it was going to be next to impossible to discern unwanted magic until he got right up next to it.

  Still, he would try. Miranda had explained that the Veil was in danger of failing. This was the ancient magical barrier that protected the Forbidden Realm from human detection. Everyone knew bad things would happen if the Veil failed. Miranda was working with a coalition of magical creatures trying to fix it, to make it strong again so humans could not see through it and try to take magic for themselves. Humans had done very bad things with magic in the past and no one wanted a repeat of that now.

  So, they all did what Miranda instructed and hoped it worked out. Dex doubted he had anything to fear from humans since wraiths possessed little magic and wouldn’t be much of a target, but he’d rather not take any chances. Miranda offered a reasonably comfortable existence here, so he helped where he could.

  And this boat was something he could help with. He concentrated his senses and floated closer to it. Did he detect magic here? He didn’t expect to. This was clearly a human vessel, nothing special. It was just one of hundreds of small charter boats in the area.

  This particular chain of islands was not a hub of tourist activity, aside from Isla Escalda, and most of the locals couldn’t afford any of Miranda’s accommodations. They’d pass by occasionally and stop to admire the beauty of Escalda—or catch a secret glimpse of some of the activities—but then they’d be on their way. Nothing magical about that.

  But Dex did sense something as he searched the air. Magic was strong here near this boat. He collected himself and focused more energy on detection. What sort of magic was this? It felt jumbled, confusing. He’d have to put real effort into figuring this out.

  Sagging downward, he was close enough to the boat now to see that two humans were on board, one male and one female. They didn’t look magical at all. In fact, the way the female tossed her long dark hair—and the way the man’s eyes flashed as he watched her—was nothing but human. So where was the source of this magic Dex was feeling?

  It had to be a powerful source to feel this strong. As the wind shifted he could get a clearer sense of it. Yes, it was powerful magic, indeed, and tinged with something familiar. What was it he sensed? Ah, it was Dark Magic, but just a hint. He sensed it for a moment and then it was gone, replaced by the feel of a brighter, lighter magic. Very unusual. Where could this be coming from?

  He glided with the air as it flowed over the bulky hull and the weathered deck. He came closer to the female. She was attractive, by human standards, with supple curves, long glossy hair, and pale green eyes that glittered in the sunlight. It was obvious the man liked what he saw. He was moving toward her as she toyed with her clothing, displaying her feminine assets and teasing the man with gratuitous glimpses of tender flesh.

  Ordinarily Dex wasn’t interested in such things, but the strange magic in the air made him curious. He would watch the woman and hang around long enough to understand what he was feeling. Well, he would try to figure it out. He wasn’t actually sure he could do that. The conflicted Dark and Light Magic he felt was like nothing he’d encountered before and he honestly didn’t know what to make of it.

  He certainly would give it his best effort, though. And that meant lingering here and observing. That, of course, would be no hardship. Even for a bodiless wraith, this woman was well worth a second glance.

  “It’s a private island,” the human male said, making no attempt to hide the appreciation he had for the woman’s form. “We’re not supposed to stop here.”

  “We won’t stay long,” she replied, her voice husky and warm. “I don’t need a long time. Do you need a long time?”

  “You don’t have a swim suit, missy,” the man said, his voice gone thick. “You’ll get your nice clothes all wet.”

  “Not if I take them all off. Would you mind helping me with these buttons?”

  It appeared that the man would not mind at all. Dex really couldn’t see what trouble the woman was having, considering she nearly had her shirt completely off by this time. She claimed to need the man’s help, though, and he seemed eager enough to give it.

  This female was quite the accomplished flirt. If Dex didn’t know better, he’d have assumed she learned her tricks from someone as skilled as Miranda.

  But Miranda didn’t share her tricks with anyone, especially not human females. They wouldn’t have been able to master them even if she did offer a few lessons. No human could ever be as irresistible as Miranda. After all, Miranda was a succubus.

  That thought had barely run through Dex’s mind when he suddenly realized why the magic he’d been feeling was so utterly confusing. It was Miranda’s Dark Magic, only Miranda wasn’t here. He was sensing the same smoldering sensuality, though, that Miranda exuded. Her magic demanded a reaction, and human males were helpless around her. It was really unexpected to find this beautiful young human radiating the same sultry demands.

  Who was she? Dex felt himself drawn to her with an almost magnetic pull. If he’d been inhabiting a physical body right now there was no doubt he’d be experiencing a strong response to her. Whatever power she possessed, it was remarkable. The human male was helpless against her. He was responding with obvious vigor, just the way everyone responded to Miranda.

  Dex circled around them and let little bits of himself reach closer. The magic emanating from this woman indicated she could not possibly be human, despite
how she appeared. It could only mean one thing.

  This female was a succubus.

  She was toying with her human prey now and it would be just a matter of time before he gave her what she needed. Every seduction would make her stronger, enhance her power. From what Dex could tell, this particular succubus was powerful enough already.

  But by the Skies, what was she doing here? Miranda would definitely not approve. This was her territory. The succubi were notoriously selfish. Was this one here to try and usurp Miranda’s position? That would not go very well. Dex needed to find out everything he could about her to report to his mistress.

  The young succubus was busy with the man, luring him closer and offering him coy smiles and pretending innocence even as she teased him mercilessly. There was no way to guess who she was, where she had come from, or what her ultimate plan was. A succubus always had a plan and it generally served no purpose but her own.

  Dex moved away from them, escaping the seductive pull of her pulsating energy. He decided to ignore the lusty figures for a moment and focus on the boat itself. The identifying marks on it would be important information for Miranda when she returned. She’d want to track down this man and find out what sort of scheme the young succubus had involved him in.

  Dex drifted around the perimeter of the boat, studying it and memorizing its features, but suddenly he was stopped. Some invisible barrier prevented him from moving; his molecules were compressed as if he’d run up against a wall. What was this? He could see nothing, but there was a definite barrier. He could feel ancient magic trembling in the air around him, too.

  Well, barriers and walls were never much of a problem for him. Releasing his hold over his mass, he let his energy dissolve into the ocean spray around him. He became little more than vapor. Yes, this allowed him to move freely through the unseen barrier. Whatever sort of magic this was, it wasn’t entirely solid. He permeated the screen that had blocked him at first and immediately he found himself hovering above another boat.

  By the Skies! There was a second boat here in this cove, nearly right up against the first one. This second vessel radiated all sorts of magic. Someone had placed a shield of protection around it, but they hadn’t counted on a wraith literally bumping into them. With luck, that could mean they wouldn’t sense him moving around on their boat, either.

  If there was anyone here to sense anything. He could feel remnants of fairy magic, of whatever ancient energy was used to create the shield, and he was pretty sure he felt mermaid magic, too. But he didn’t find any of these magical creatures on board.

  He drifted inside the cabin of the boat. This was much more than just the little puddle-jumper that the succubus was using to seduce her human. This boat was large, and obviously fit for traveling the open waters. It was every bit as luxurious as the other yachts that visited the island, but Dex was sure he’d never seen it before.

  He pushed the door to the bedroom open and found the only living thing on the boat. A man was lying there, a human man. Or rather, what was left of a human man.

  Oh, his body appeared to be fine. Dex scanned him for injury and found none. It appeared he was in nearly perfect health, in his body, at least. The man’s mind was another story.

  Dex found the man’s mind broken and empty. He felt Dark Magic there and knew immediately what had happened. He’d seen Miranda do this on more than one occasion.

  This man had been splintered. His mind had been broken into pieces and sucked out of him. Usually this was done so that it could be replaced into another body, but Miranda had practiced the skill a few times and simply discarded the pieces. She’d let Dex inhabit the leftover bodies for a while, until the strain of splintering had rendered them useless.

  He didn’t know what Miranda had done with the soulless bodies after that. Once he was non-corporeal again, it was just too damn difficult to care about anything. He wondered who had splintered this man. It was a very Dark enterprise and not at all approved for common practice in the Forbidden Realm.

  Sounds from the other nearby boat caught Dex’s attention. He drifted back up topside to see what was going on with the young succubus and her prey. His view was uninhibited—he could see through the magical protective shield just fine from this side. It was simply those on the outside who were prevented from looking in. The succubus would have no idea at all that this boat was here, unless she was the one who had hidden it.

  She didn’t seem the least bit concerned about magically hidden boats right now, though. She was running her hands over the captain’s arms as he reached to pull her tight up against him. Dex drifted closer to them, wishing he could feel what this man must be feeling right now. The magic wafting off of the succubus filled the open spaces between Dex’s molecules and he knew a physical union with this creature would be more than just memorable. He tried to recall the times he had engaged in carnal activities…Those partners had all been forgettable, though. The minute he was out of a flesh-and-bone body, he forgot any hint of passion or lust that he’d ever felt.

  Watching this succubus explore her man’s body, however, made Dex remember just the slightest bit. If he had the chance to ever be with this alluring creature, he would relish it.

  “You must work very hard,” she cooed to her partner. “Your arms are like iron.”

  The man didn’t reply. He was too busy running his hands over her body, touching her gently in places that were usually reserved for private. She reacted the way a succubus always reacted, as if she wanted more of his touch, more of his love. Men never recognized that they were merely being used.

  “Can you feel how much I want you?” the man growled, nuzzling his grizzled face into her silky hair.

  “Oh yes…you feel…” The succubus paused.

  Suddenly her demeanor changed and she tried to push him away. Dex was confused. What game was this? Since when did a succubus ever pretend to fight her intended victim?

  “I’m doing it again! No, I’m so sorry. I can’t do this to you,” she cried out.

  Chapter Two

  Dex was startled by her sudden reaction. The man, however, was too deeply captivated in her seduction to be distracted. He merely held her tighter, rubbed his larger body against hers and clearly intended to satisfy the burning lust she had created in him. She struggled against him, prying at his arms.

  “You don’t want this,” she said, but his fervent kisses made her words hard to understand. “You’ll regret it afterward and you’ll hate yourself.”

  He was mumbling about the soft nature of her skin and the heat of her thighs as he continued to react to his desire. Clearly she was becoming troubled as she fought to free herself from him. Dex had never seen such behavior and for a moment he just watched in confusion. Had he been wrong? Maybe she wasn’t a succubus.

  But he couldn’t be wrong. He sensed her magic clearly, and the passion she’d evoked in the human had only made it stronger. There was no doubt she was a succubus. There was also no doubt that she was distressed. She struggled to push the man away, to distract him from desire, but his amorous intent became more and more obvious. He was not going to stop no matter how many times she said no.

  Dex was already fading back through the magical shield to rush to her side and save her before he remembered he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t do anything. A wraith barely had existence; he certainly had no limbs to help her fend off the groping man, he had no voice to call out for assistance, and he had no physical being to even hold her and comfort her after the inevitable. Without a body, Dex could do nothing more than hover nearby and watch as the young woman begged the man to cease his assault.

  Then Dex recalled that he did have a body. He could borrow the one in the cabin of the mysterious vessel! He swooped down there immediately and poured himself into the man.

  With no soul and no will to hinder him, Dex took full possession of the man’s shell almost instantly. He was suddenly aware of sights and sounds, textures and smells. He felt his ions surging throug
h arteries and veins, pumping into muscle and sinew. Sensations of all sorts sizzled through him and he embraced them. The body was his now; he owned it completely.

  He couldn’t move as quickly as he was used to, of course. A few moments of awkward stumbling prevented him from leaving the cabin. The body was stiff and unfamiliar and took some getting used to. Soon enough, though, he had his bearings. This body would do what he asked of it. Right now he needed to get it onto that other boat.

  This task would prove easier than expected. As he came out onto the deck it was obvious the succubus was struggling almost violently with the lust-blinded man. They had moved from the railing at the front of the boat and now the man had the succubus backed up against the console where all the controls were. Something had gotten shifted and the boat was lurching forward, directly toward the vessel that Dex was on.

  Splashing and grinding, the two boats collided. Dex had been ready and braced himself. The couple on the other craft had not. They toppled over, the man falling on top of the succubus. Instead of being distracted, though, his desire raged out of control now that he felt her lithe body beneath his.

  Dex leaped across the narrow gap between boats. The protective barrier was no hindrance from this direction, although when he glanced behind him as he landed on the smaller boat’s deck, he could not see through it again. Whoever had placed that shield had done an excellent job. It was holding fast. Apparently this body he’d taken was not meant to be found any time soon, hidden securely on that boat and anchored in the usually deserted mouth of the cove.

  Dex clambered over the rolling deck, the boat still reeling after its slow-speed collision. His first task was to right the controls, yanking at the throttle and killing the engines. Then he dove for the writhing couple and grabbed the man by the neck, peeling him off the succubus and tossing him to the side.