Page 15 of Incubus with Benefits
We’d spent several decades in a small town at the foot of the Alps, where we met Prax. Gina, who’d called herself Gwen then, had hunted with him for a while as I’d busied myself with a few mountain nymphs. But we’d ended up back in Prague not long after, funny enough, living in the same building decades apart.
“Remember that time the old man recognized you?” I asked.
“Oh gods, yes. That was awkward! We told him I was the daughter, visiting my mother’s old haunts. He bought it. I think. We were lucky he didn’t recognize you.”
“Hard to notice little ole me when his eyes were glued to your cleavage the whole time.”
She snorted. “Perks of the job.”
“I’m glad we found Darlington.”
I couldn’t believe I’d been the one who’d originally resisted coming to the New World. Even before opening Delerium, it had been much easier to find beings willing to exchange energy for pleasure in a town like Darlington, where most people either had magic or were monsters of some sort. There’d been plenty of witches who also used sex to recharge their energy who’d been more than willing to trade with us.
Of course, we still ran the chances of a witch or wizard trying to bind us unwillingly. That was what had happened to Prax. But that was his story to tell.
Gina’s phone buzzed, vibrating against a crystal skull.
“Finally! Rune’s awake.”
The next hour was a steady hum of business. Gina and I locked in the final details with Rune, who, true to form, requested blood orange vodka and a sound circle tuned to 432 Hz. Weirdo. We arranged delivery of yet another shipment of top-shelf booze from our supplier, who didn’t even blink at the volume anymore.
It was all routine, behind-the-scenes work that kept Delerium humming. But even as I ticked off tasks, my mind kept drifting.
It kept circling back to Lily. Lily in my home. Lily curled up on my couch, probably wrapped in my favorite blanket.
I’d arrived at Gina’s the old-fashioned demon way, by blinking out of existence in my home and reappearing outside her door. Which meant my phone was still at home, since solid objects didn’t travel with me when I dematerialized. The part of me touching the object always had to be solid. Now I was worried Lily might be trying to reach me and couldn’t.
Once everything was done, I stood, ready to leave.
“I’m heading out.”
“Going to check on your little witch?”
“She’s not mine,” I said automatically, then paused. “But yeah. I want to make sure she’s okay.”
Gina smirked, all knowing and smug. “You’re cute when you pretend not to care.”
I flipped her off affectionately. “You’re cute when you pretend not to meddle.”
She blew me a kiss and drifted over to her bar to pour herself another drink. “Go. Be with your witch.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. Then with a blink of an eye, I disappeared.
Chapter 7
Lily
IsatatJulian’sdining table, nursing a mug of tea. Surprisingly, I’d found everything I needed in his kitchen cupboards to make myself a chai latte, and the aroma now filled his home. On the laptop screen in front of me, Penny and Gigi leaned in like I was about to drop the juiciest gossip of the century. And honestly? I kind of was.
“So,” I began, “Julian drove me home this morning.” I held up a hand. “And before you ask, nothing happened. Except one single kiss, but I’ll get to that.”
Gigi raised a brow. “And?”
“And my apartment was trashed,” I said flatly. “They didn’t take anything. Not a single thing. But they smashed every magical artifact I own. Every charm, every talisman, every single ward I’d ever placed.
“That’s why I’m here at Julian’s place. It’s safer for now. For one, it has a working front door. And he’s got this place warded; I can feel it. It’s even stronger than the spell he uses to prevent offensive magic from being cast in Delerium.”
Gigi crossed her arms, her expression darkening. “You mean the one that fucked up and let someone spell you last night? Yeah, I don’t trust it. I say you come over to my place instead.”
