Page 18 of Incubus with Benefits
The damage wasn’t bad. A few soaked rugs, a puddle or two, and one very offended table. Nothing a stack of heavy-duty towels, an industrial fan, and a few days of open windows couldn’t fix.
I turned to her, offering her a smile. “Come on, let’s clean this mess up. Then you can tell me what the hell happened.”
We worked in silence for a few minutes. I tossed soaked towels into a pile while Lily gathered the remnants of her spell: charred herbs, cracked crystals, melted candles, and one bracelet that looked like it had been through a magical blender.
She crouched beside the table, inspecting the damage with a sigh. “It was supposed to be a protection charm,” she said finally. “A shield. Against physical and magical attacks.”
I glanced over. “Doesn’t look very protective.”
She shot me a glare, then softened. “It’s not the charm’s fault. It’s mine. I don’t have a lot of raw magic, so to make something strong, I have to channel what I do have slowly. Really slowly. Like sloth speed. That’s how less powerful witches like me build charms and talismans that are stronger than we are: layer bylayer, little by little. It’s kind of like saving it all so we can use it in one go. But everything’s been off today.”
She gestured to the pile of failed attempts. “It’s not the first one that blew up in my face.”
I moved closer, watching her aura flicker like a candle on its last breath. “Could be that spell from last night still messing with your magic.”
She rubbed her temples. “I think you’re right. I thought I’d shaken it off, but maybe not. I feel... stretched thin. Like I’ve been casting nonstop for days.”
“You look it,” I said.
“Thanks,” she said wryly.
“You need to recharge.”
Her eyes narrowed, sharp and suspicious. “Recharge? You mean with you?”
“I didn’t say that.” I’d meant it though.
“But you implied it,” she said, arms crossing, chin lifting. “I’m not that type of witch.”
I let a slow smile curl across my lips. “Didn’t say you were. And I know you’re not one of the groupies. Friends remember?”
She crunched her nose in that adorable way she did, then sighed. “But I guess I could recharge that way if I wanted to.”
I laughed. “You’re making it sound like a chore. I promise, with me, it wouldn’t be a chore at all.”
She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched. “You’re awfully confident.”
I stepped closer, letting the heat between us rise like steam off my scorched table. “Confidence is easy when you know what you’re offering. I am an incubus, in case you forgot. We don’t just take, we’re very good at giving.”
Her breath hitched, just enough to make me wonder if she felt the pull too. Her magic sparked against me like flint to steel. I reached out, brushing a damp strand of hair from her cheek, fingers lingering longer than necessary. She leaned into my hand, her eyes closed, and I could already feel her drawing from me, and me from her, even with that little bit of contact.
I guided her toward the couch, my hand settling on the small of her back.
She looked at me, eyes dark and steady. “I’m not that type of witch,” she repeated, softer this time. “But maybe I can do with a little test drive. But we’re still just friends. You start treating me like one of your fangirls, and we’re going to have a problem.”
“I wouldn’t dare. Friends.” I grinned. “With benefits.”
She nodded. “Then yes.”
Chapter 9
Lily
Deleriumpulsedlikealiving thing, but its heartbeat was muffled into a dull thud by the thick walls of the security room. The office was colder than I expected, lit by the glow of a dozen oversized monitors. Each screen flickered with grainy footage from every corner of the club. I’d been coming here for years and never once noticed how many cameras were tucked into the shadows.
A little creepy. But efficient, and kind of impressive.
Nathan, the head of security, sat in the only other chair in the room, arms crossed over his massive chest. He was a bear shifter and built like a brick wall. He smelled faintly of pine and something smoky like a campfire, and I had to stop myself from mentally making Yogi Bear references.
