An Incubus Only Calls Your Name Once

by A M Boone

  Then silence. Felix/Felicia pulled back a little.

  “Keep your eyes shut. I’m gonna go scope things out.”

  I kept my eyes closed and stayed there, trembling. What just happened? Was Vincent okay? Was Felix/Felicia okay?

  Footsteps. Felix/Felicia laughed again, but it wasn’t bitter this time. “I thought you said you weren’t going to do that anymore.”

  “Fuck off.” Vincent’s voice. “That was embarrassing.”

  “Not gonna go all squirmy on us again?”

  “Fuck off,” he said, more firmly this time. “Just get me another robe.”

  “You can open your eyes now, Ellie,” Felix/Felicia said.

  “You’re going to pay for this,” Harriet said quietly. She was alive?

  I opened my eyes. There were twelve people with Harriet before Vincent… did whatever he did. Now it was only me, Vincent, the queen, Harriet, and Felix/Felicia.

  Vincent’s mom had passed out and was occasionally twitching.

  The scent of blood filled the air, and splatters of black, blue and red blood were everywhere. I gagged.

  It took far too long for me to be able to stand up under my own volition. I stumbled over to Vincent, who was naked as the day he was born, but alive.

  “Are you okay?” I choked out. “What happened?”

  “I lost control of my powers,” he said quietly. Something about his voice made me shiver. It didn’t sound like his. It didn’t sound natural. “It’s not important.”

  “I think losing control of your powers is important,” I said, scowling.

  “Miss Delacroix, we’ll discuss this later—”

  “No,” I said. “We’re discussing this now. You keep not telling me the truth, having so many secrets… What is going on? If I’m going to be with you for the next ten years, I think I deserve to know the truth.”

  “Later.”

  “No!” I finally screamed. Tiny tendrils of magic crawled up my arms as my heart thudded away in my chest. “Explain! What happened with Harriet?! Why did they have to cover my ears?”

  “If you keep doing this, even my mark won’t protect you.”

  “I don’t care! Tell me the truth!”

  Felix/Felicia came back with a sheet. “This was all I could get.”

  I just trembled, clutching my robe so tightly I nearly ripped a hole in it. “Tell me.”

  “It’s a long story.” He fastened the sheet around his waist, just staring at me as if this never even happened.

  “Stop fucking deflecting, and—”

  “If you won’t tell her, I will,” Harriet said quietly. Bruises marred her neck, and her lower left leg was pointing the wrong way. “I know everything you want to know, witch. Just say the word.”

  Vincent gave her a nasty look. “I should have killed you when I had the chance,” he said. “You and you little posse need to leave me and all of my associates alone forever, or I’ll finish the job.” He nudged her with his foot, and she coughed up a few spatters of blood.

  “Tell me.” My voice was barely a whisper.

  Vincent’s eyes widened. “Miss Delacroix—”

  “He’s not just a cubi, you know,” she said, wet laughter escaping her throat. “His father wasn’t. His father wasn’t even from this dimension. He was sent by his people to colonize this world and take it over with broodspawn.” She coughed up some more blood, trembling, her face ashen. “But since his father was a fucking moron and knocked up a cubi queen instead of a human woman, that asshole over there was born instead of her exploding with eldritch spawn.”

  “Shut up,” Vincent said.

  “No. She needs to know. You’ve been jerking her around for how many months? Two? Three? And she didn’t know. Disgusting.” She coughed again. “You’re disgusting, your whole race is disgusting—”

  He stepped on her hand, and it cracked. She let out a choked cry.

  “What?” I said softly. There were other dimensions besides ours? I could barely wrap my head around the concept of other realms.

  “He hears the whispers,” she said, her voice barely audible. “He wants to take over this dimension and turn it into a hellscape.”

  “Shut. Up.” He ground his heel into her wrist, and she squealed in pain. “I only left you alive to send a message.”

  “That’s new,” Felix/Felicia said. “Usually you’re not quite… sapient during one of your rampages.”

  This just created more questions than it answered.

  “I thought I could change him, but… I couldn’t.” Bloody tears streamed down her face. “I never could. I’m only one woman…”

  “Don’t cry crocodile tears.” Vincent crossed his arms.

  “Good luck,” she said, staring at me. “You’re going to need it.”

  She held out her hand, and her staff flew into it. She murmured a spell, a small, swirling portal appeared, and she dragged herself into it, crying out in pain, before disappearing.

  * * *

  “Good fucking riddance,” he said. “Well. That was a complete and utter disaster.”

  “You might want to work on your shapeshifting a bit,” Felix/Felicia said.

  “What’s wrong now?”

  They just pointed at their cheek, and Vincent touched his. He went pale. There was a small divot in his cheek that looked like an eyeball. What the fuck?

  He shapeshifted it away, and turned to me. “Are you all right?”

  “Tell me the truth,” I whispered.

  He huffed, blowing a bit of hair out of his face. Why wouldn’t he tell me the truth? Was Harriet telling the truth? Why wouldn’t he tell me…

  I collapsed to the floor, dry heaving, my head spinning.

  “Litro’xi,” he said. “Weren’t you supposed to be protecting her?”

  “I was,” they said, crossing their arms, “but she was squirming and probably heard too much.”

  Vincent knelt at his mother’s side, and rolled her over.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Felix/Felicia asked.

  “I don’t know how much she saw. She could be like this for a while.” Vincent sighed and gently placed his hand to her face. “Mother? Are you all right?”

  Like what for a while? Was she going to die? Mutate like Vincent did?

  “N’naandi?” She opened her eyes, but they’d lost their shine. “What’s going on? I can’t see…”

  Vincent grimaced and muttered, “Great… Just great. Not again…”

  “Everything’s dark…” she said. “What happened? All I remember is something horrible, something not right…”

  This was… strange. From what I’d seen of Vincent’s mom, she was confident and strong, but now… Her voice was like a small child’s.

  Vincent swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, then helped her up. “You should rest. I’ll get Ederu’rir to take you back to your bedroom, all right?”

  “Right.” She sighed. “I always hated your father for what he did to me.”

  “Now’s not the time.” He snapped his fingers, and a few moments later, the older cubi woman from before poked her head through the double doors.

  “Queen Funany’a? Prince N’naandi—by the memories! What happened?”

  “A lot of things, Ederu’rir. A lot of things. Take mother to her room and get some other servants to clean up the mess.”

  “Ederu’rir?” she asked softly.

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Hysterical blindness from what happened. Keep an eye on her.”

  “All right.” She gingerly stepped into the room. “It’s like there was a massacre in here. What did you do?”

  The real question would be what didn’t he do. I took a breath. I needed to focus on the here and now, on me, but those noises… they’d stick with me until the day I died. I glanced up at Vincent. He still seemed wrong—everything about this seemed wrong.

  He handed his mother over to her, and stood up. “It’s a long story, and not one for tonight. Litro’xi, Miss D
elacroix, we’re leaving.”

  I took a deep, shuddering breath, my mouth filling up with saliva. Everything was monochrome, and my body was disconnected and floating. I had to focus—focus on him, on what we were doing, on what was going on—but my heartbeat grew deafening in my ears, and…

  “Miss Delacroix?”

  “Ellie?”

  I dry heaved again. “I think I’m going to be sick—”

  I vomited all over the dark tile. Felix/Felicia rubbed my back, and I shivered under their touch.

  Monica walked in. “So. You weren’t content with becoming some big shot in the human world, you ruined the ball for my only wedding.”

  “Go to Cagraonia.”

  “Fuck off. What the hell happened? Momma’s blind? There’s blood everywhere, and—”

  He shushed her. “I was attacked by a group of supernaturals led by Harriet Albero, and I took them out. Once everything’s cleaned up, you can have your precious ball. I’ll be leaving. Have a good time at your wedding.”

  “Ugh. You need to stop fucking with people bigger than you. Anyway, Momma said she wants you and the witch to stay.”

  “Fine. Litro’xi?”

  “I’ll stick around,” they said, shrugging. “I haven’t seen my father in a bit…”

  Monica crossed her arms. “This is why you don’t deserve the throne. Normal cubi don’t explode into horrible beasts and—”

  “This isn’t the time,” Felix/Felicia said quietly. “N’naandi, go to bed and take Ellie with you.” They wiped at a slight nosebleed. “I’ll get some servants to clean this up and round up all the guests.”

  God, their voice sounded so defeated. So small. How many times had Vincent “lost it?” How long had this been going on?

  Vincent offered me his hand, but I didn’t take it, just staring. Five fingers. He was normal, but not. Something about him was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  I stayed silent. Could I even get up on my own?

  Monica clicked her tongue. “You broke her brain. Good job.”

  He glared at her, then said, “If this wasn’t your wedding weekend, I’d toss you back to Rose Creek.”

  Felix/Felicia took my hand gently and helped me up. “Come with me, okay?”

  Vincent stumbled a little, then rested his hands on his knees, his breaths labored.

  “Are you okay?” The words came out more croaked than said.

  “I’ll be fine. Maybe we do need a little time apart.” He waved us away, then snapped his fingers. A few servants came into the room, covering their mouths and trembling. “Clean up this mess, and get everything ready for a new ball and wedding.”

  “O-of course, right away, Your Highness,” they said in unison, then started gathering supplies.

  Felix/Felicia led me out of the room, running their hand through their hair.

  I glanced back at Vincent. His face was ashen, and he was coughing up spatters of black goo. Was he really going to be okay?

  “He’ll be fine,” they said. “It’s just… taxing for him to lose it like that.”

  “Why did you cover my eyes and ears?”

  They let go of my hand and gave me a look. Seeing them like this was more unnerving than when Santi wanted to break my contract. They were the joker to Vincent’s straight man, and them being so serious…

  “Was Harriet telling the truth?”

  “Well…” They glanced around. “Will you accompany me to my estate? The walls have ears here.”

  “Okay.”

  “Follow me.”

  * * *

  We went outside the queen’s castle, and the guards from before eyed us.

  “What happened in there, Lairde Litro’xi?” one of them asked.

  “A disaster,” they said. Their voice was curt. Too curt. “But everyone’s all right.”

  We kept walking until we reached a small train station. Cubi were milling around waiting for the train and chattering with one another, as if the crown prince didn’t just explode into eldritch monstrosity.

  “My estate isn’t in Osienbele,” they said. “It’s in the neighboring city of Pryora, so we’re going to have to take the train.”

  My stomach finally settled a bit, and I took a deep breath. “I didn’t bring any money…”

  “The human world is so money hungry, jeez.” They smiled at me. “It’s free here.”

  “Will people stare? You know, since I’m not a cubi and all…”

  “Nah. Thoiriele is a popular tourist destination for supernaturals, so no one will care. It’s safe, I promise.”

  Vincent said the same thing, that cubi were a peaceful people and it was usually others trying to fuck them up.

  A small, old-timey streetcar pulled up, and we boarded. A few people nodded towards Felix/Felicia, but for the most part, they were right. No one cared.

  We settled into seats in the back, and I rested my head on their shoulder.

  “How do people feel about the aristocracy?” I asked.

  They shrugged. “We just are. Queen Funany’a doesn’t like to interfere in people’s lives unless she has to. All she does in public is occasionally throw parties and make speeches to keep up morale. But behind the scenes…”

  The street car started, and smoothly went down the winding streets of Osienbele, only letting out a quiet whir when it turned a corner. The massive crystal buildings of Osienbele faded to forests.

  “And is it equal?”

  “Asking the heavy questions, aren’t ya, Ellie.” They let out a quiet chuckle. “More than America, that’s for sure. If Funany’a tried any of the shit your president did, she’d be ousted before she could pass a law.”

  Yikes. But fair.

  “She wouldn’t, though. So it’s a moot point.”

  “I thought cubi could fly? Why is there public transit?”

  “Flying’s like walking. Do you want to walk everywhere? Thoiriele might be the smallest kingdom of the Demonic Realms, but it’s still big.”

  The rest of the ride went on in silence.

  * * *

  We got off in the middle of a slightly smaller, yet still busy hub. Here, the streets were made of glass-like stones, and everyone seemed to mind their own business. No one even batted an eye at nobility mingling among them.

  Felix/Felicia took my hand and led me down a winding path towards the ocean. It was a deep purple, and if I squinted, I could see people partying on boats with the wildlife.

  Their estate was directly on the beach, a crystalline mansion that shone a dull blue in the setting sun.

  As soon as we got onto the grounds, a tall, busty guard stopped us, accompanied by a tiny three-headed hellhound. “Lairde Litro’xi, good evening. And your guest?”

  “This is Eliana Delacroix, a witch, N’naandi’s assistant in the human world, and a good friend of mine.” They smiled at her.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be at Princess Ime’Cahina’s ball?” She cocked her head to the side.

  “Something came up, and it’s been postponed.”

  “I see. And Prince N’naandi?”

  “Back in Osienbele. There was an… incident.”

  She nodded. “Well, I won’t keep you. Your father’s in the sitting room.”

  “Thanks.” They took my hand again, and led me inside.

  The inside was just as breathtaking as the royal family’s castle, if a bit more sterile. Everything was in its place, and they probably had servants come and clean up even a single stray crumb.

  Their father was the splitting image of them in their male form, if he were thirty human years older. He was sitting in a chair, reading a book in front of the fireplace.

  Oh… A picture of a woman sat above the mantle. God, she was beautiful… Felix/Felicia’s mother? She was pale, with milky white skin, bright red, almond shaped eyes, and jet black hair that tumbled to her hips. There was a bit of a resemblance, but not much. Genes were weird enough in the human world, a
nd when you added magic to the mix…

  “Father?” Felix/Felicia asked. God, their voice sounded so weary.

  “Litro’xi? What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Well, long story short, there was an… accident at Princess Ime’Cahina’s ball, and I decided to go home for a bit. How is everyone?”

  “We’re fine.” He glanced me over. “Who’s the witch?”

  They introduced me.

  “And Ellie, this is my father, Lord Dira’vel of the cubi.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” He shook my hand. He had a light grip. Strange for someone his size.

  “Anyway, I’ll be in my room. I’ll see you at the wedding?”

  He nodded, and went back to his book.

  We went up a spiral staircase to the top floor, and they led me down a drafty hallway to their room. It was normal enough looking, neatly furnished, and not as sterile as the rest of the house.

  They flopped onto their bed, sighing. “All right. I’m going to be blunt. You may wanna sit down for this.”

  I lost my breath.

  “Harriet was right.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “What?” I choked out. “How? Why? He’s not from this dimension?”

  “I only know about this thirdhand,” they said, sighing. “So… Vincent’s mother went on a trip to ‘find herself’ in the human world about six hundred years ago, after her mother died and she became the ruling monarch. She stumbled upon a meteor in the middle of the desert, and decided to poke at it. Instantly dragged in.”

  Oh, yikes.

  “Now, what happened in that meteor, I don’t know, but she found herself on the other side of the planet and pregnant. She went back to Thoiriele and tried to end the pregnancy, but no amount of potions, magic, or throwing herself down a flight of stairs could make her miscarry. Six weeks later, she looked nine months pregnant, and in the middle of the night, well…”

  I didn’t want to know.

  “He literally tore out of her. Nearly killed her.” They went pale. “I remember when he was born. The doctor screamed and tried to kill him.”

  “Why?”

  Even if he was a product of… that, he didn’t deserve to be killed.

  They glanced around. “I mean, if some eldritch abomination tore out of your queen and skittered around the room, you’d try to kill it too, right?”