Page 66 of Incubus with Benefits
If headquarters decided to check the cameras' logs, they’d find nothing. We’d already cut the footage and looped it. And none of their magical surveillance would find anything peculiar either. Not with a strong wizard like Seth pulling the strings.
“What are you going to do after this?” I asked, watching Alfonzo stop mid-step.
He shrugged, the handkerchief still clutched in his fingers. “Don’t know,” he said, his accent thick and tired. “I go where they send me.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t learn anything studying this portal,” I offered.
But he shook his head. “I did. I learned that some information isn’t worth the price.”
I nodded, letting that sit between us. “You’re not half bad, Alfonzo. Thanks for helping clear my name.”
He looked at me, eyes sharp. “I wasn’t helping you, incubus. I was helping myself. Thepoliziacame to me. Many of the clues pointed in my direction. And when they found you innocent, where would they look next?”
Fair enough.
Across the street, the building stood quiet as Seth stepped out. Behind him trailed the other magic casters, looking tired. At Desmon’s request, we’d kept the team small: Seth, Sybil, Lily, Penny, Gigi, Marissa, Tamsyn, and Nora. Didn’t matter that Tamsyn and Nora weren’t particularly strong; their conviction that the portal must be closed to prevent any other women from being victims was enough.
Lily, Penny, and Gigi had their arms around each other, leaning on one another for support. Penny peeled herself off to lean on Prax first. Then Gigi collapsed into Marcus’s arms. That left Lily for me. I gathered her close.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “I will be. Once I get some food in me.”
“Is that all you want in—Oomph.”
She smacked me in the sternum before I could finish my sentence.
We stood there a little longer, letting the silence settle around us. The wind picked up, scattering a few leaves across the pavement.
“I think it’s over,” Seth finally said. “I can’t hear her at all.” He was referring to the portal, which, apparently, spoke to the wizard in a female voice. He turned to Alfonzo. “Our job is done. Now it’s up to you to make it convincing.”
“Don’t worry about me.” The shifter—I still didn’t know what type he was—looked around. “But I like this town. Perhaps I’ll ask to transfer once everything settles.” He turned to Lily. “Congratulations. I heard you were just made head priestess of your coven.”
Lily flushed red. “It’s not nearly as impressive as it sounds.”
“You’re too humble,” Seth said. “Just take the compliment. Besides, I have a feeling the Basic Witches might be growing very soon.” And with that ominous prediction, he sauntered off, stepping into his Porsche and speeding away.
Lily exchanged three-way glances with her coven mates.
“I wonder who he’s referring to,” Penny said.
“No clue.” Lily went to hook arms with her and Gigi. “But that’s a mystery for another day. I’m hungry. Who’s up for Micky D’s?”
There were choruses of, “Me!” as the three headed toward one of the only places open late in the area, arm in arm.
“I’ll come with and pick something up for Nate and Molly, but I can’t stay,” Marissa said.
She’d moved in with Nathan despite her family’s protests. Her coven was a lot more accepting now that he’d been responsible for saving her.
Marcus and Prax just shrugged and followed behind like this was just another Tuesday night, so I joined them.
“Welcome to the club, Jules,” Prax said, tossing a friendly arm over my shoulder. “There’s never a dull day with these ladies.”
“I bet.” And there was nowhere else I’d rather be.
I’m happy for you.
I stopped mid-step. Justin? I peered hard at the spot beside me, but there was nothing there.
