Page 3 of The Incubus's Angel
Twisting the handle to the right, I pull the door open and step outside. It only takes a second for my eyes to adjust as I squint at the figure standing in the clearing in front of my cottage.
“Beck?” I ask, pausing on the threshold, confused by his unexpected appearance here. Ever since he helped Bodin install my new generator, we’ve had a couple of good conversations, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling us friends. Yet.
“Morning. I was wondering how long it’d take you to get out of the house.” There’s a teasing tone in Beck’s voice, and I appreciate the normally stoic dragon’s attempt at humor.
“Was it longer or shorter than you thought?” I ask, a half smile pulling on one side of my mouth.
Beck frowns. “Oddly, shorter. Well done.” It’s small praise, but it means a lot. I’ve been actively working on pushing myself out of my comfort zone over the last couple of weeks and the fact that Beck acknowledges my progress means a lot to me.
Still, I don’t quite know what’s the appropriate way to respond to the semicompliment. “Thanks? What are you doing here anyway?” I ask as I pull the door shut behind me.
Beck straightens his spine, his pale hair glimmering like a beacon as the first hints of morning light peek through on the eastern horizon. “Bodin sent me,” he says matter-of-factly, pulling on his tie. I can’t imagine he’s comfortable all suited up, but not like I’d know either. I’m always in hoodies or baggy sweatshirts.
Beck continues, honest and to the point as always, “He thought it might be more comfortable, for both of us, if we went together. He said you wouldn’t like the big crowd, plus guests from outside of Starry Hill will make it even worse for you. And Tilly told me to grab seats for us on the edge of the ceremony, so I went early and saved us two seats in the back row and away from the aisle.”
An invisible vise squeezes around my heart at the kind gesture, of Beck going out of his way to help me despite the inconvenience. “That’s really thoughtful, thanks. What time did you wake up to get all of it done?” I ask as I approach him, playing with a button on the most formal sweatshirt I own.
Beck turns and falls into step beside me. “Super early. Thankfully all of the ceremony guests came last night so I didn’t have to worry about ferrying them across from Cape Easton this morning. I’ll most likely be super busy this afternoon again, taking them back to Cape Easton harbor.”
“You must be exhausted if you were doing all of that last night, plus now you have to worry about me too.”
Beck shrugs. “It’s okay. It’s part of my duties as guardian of Starry Hill.”
“Is it though? It seems like you’re doing so much more than anyone can reasonably expect from you,” I say, surprising myselfat my candor. “I just mean I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit, Beck. You’re a really good guy and I hope you won’t let others take advantage of you.”
Tilting his head at me, his brows draw down into a sharp line as he mulls my words over. After a few seconds, he says quietly, “Thank you.”
Neither of us speak again after that, walking in contemplative silence toward Starry Hill’s most famous beach. In the distance, I can make out various creatures as they too make their way to Kraken Cove for the ceremony.
The tranquility of the rolling hills, the stars winking down at us from an early morning sky, and the gentle song of birds serenading the island all work in harmony to calm my heart rate which escalates with each step closer.
I’ve always been shy, keeping to myself and my home most of the time, so whenever I need to venture into a more crowded space my nerves hammer away at me, urging my feet to turn around and head back to the calm of my safety bubble.
But not today. Today I’m ready to conquer my nerves for Bodin. I want to witness my friend claiming Tilly as his wife and celebrate with them as they declare their love in front of everyone.
I don’t think I’ll ever have the honor of experiencing something as intense as they have, or even a fraction of it, but the tiniest of tiny parts within my soul is clinging on to hope that maybe there’s a creature out there for me who’s willing to give me a chance. Someone who can see past my exterior, past the weight of expectations that come withbeing an incubus, and be patient enough to unravel all my layers to see who I am at my core.
Because deep down, I think I’m a romantic at heart. I just haven’t had the opportunity to experience any romance myself. Yet.
When we get onto the sandy beach, other creatures kick their shoes off, but I just try to step carefully with my sneakers, hoping not too much sand gets into them. Being here feels like I’m already exposed, but going barefoot would almost feel like being naked in front of strangers.
Beck nods greetings at familiar faces, thankfully not engaging in conversation. I try my best to look calm while my heart moves up into my throat. I quickly shove my sweaty hands in my sweatshirt’s pockets as I purposefully look away when someone tries to catch my eye.
Lasering in on the saved seats Beck mentioned, I keep my head down and plop onto the one on the edge, picking up the ceremony program and hoping my body language is enough to dissuade anyone from coming over and making excruciating small talk.
What even is the point of small talk? Do creatures honestly enjoy talking about the weather?
Beck follows me and takes his seat, the ceremony starting not long after.
“Tilly looks really beautiful,” Beck whispers as she makes her way down the aisle.
“She does,” I agree. “But look at Bodin. Have you ever seen anyone as fiercely in love as he is?” Bodin seems incapable ofnoticing anyone but Tilly, his eyes eating up every detail from her face to her dress.
Usually there’s a hum of sexual energy around the two of them, but today it seems as though love and devotion, and the desire to be publicly claimed supersede everything else for them.
“I hope one day it’ll be me up there,” Beck sighs wistfully in a rare moment of vulnerability.
“Me too.” My whisper is so low I hardly think the most sensitive ears could pick up on it, but by the soft smile Doc Calla shoots me from the opposite end of the aisle, she most definitely heard.
