Incubus Awakened by Kitty Thomas

10

Anna wasn’t looking forward to breakfast. In the light of day, the harem seemed even more vulgar than it had the night before. But the kitchen was empty aside from Luc, who was flipping pancakes and drinking coffee.

“If I see Vince, he’s dead,” Luc said.

“What?” Of all the things he could have told her first thing in the morning, a mention of her ex-boyfriend in Atlanta hadn’t made the top hundred.

“You’re not the only one getting dreams. That shithead better hope he never comes back to Golatha Falls after the way he treated you.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond. Part of her was all melty that he’d kick Vince’s ass for her, though another part was a little worried, considering her visit to the hospital the previous night. Also, a casual death threat from Luc was more than creative hyperbole.

So instead, she just lamely said, “Do we have orange juice?”

He gestured with his spatula. “In the fridge.”

They were in the middle of suffering through a quiet and awkward breakfast when the doorbell rang.

“Oh shit!” Anna shoved the last bit of pancakes into her mouth and tossed the plate into the sink. “That’s Tam. I forgot about her. You have to go.”

Luc looked amused. “Go where?”

“Be invisible. You can’t let her see you.”

“But I like being visible.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, and an image of them naked together on the kitchen island flew through her brain. She looked at him suspiciously, wondering if he’d put the visual there. He just smiled.

Yep. He’d put the visual there.

The doorbell kept ringing. “Just a second, Tam!” She turned to Luc. “You can’t be serious. Do the poof disappear-y thing.”

“No.”

“Why are you tormenting me?”

“I will change into something less . . . conspicuous.”

Before Anna could ask for clarification, there was a fluffy, white Persian cat sitting on the kitchen table.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. She’s gonna think I’m becoming a crazy cat lady. Every time she sees me, I have a new cat.”

“Mrarrr,” Luc said, sauntering off ahead of her into the living room.

Anna was well on her way to gray hair. The doorbell rang again. “Dammit!”

Tam had her wonderful qualities, but patience was not among them. She was like a female Luc, minus the demon part and the great abs. She tried to stop thinking about the abs and focus on the demon part as she opened the door.

“Is it okay that I’m here?” Tam asked.

“Of course it is,” Anna said, her voice going up a register. “Why wouldn’t it be okay? I said ten o’clock didn’t I?” She was wearing a smile on her face that would put any Vaseline-toothed beauty queen to shame.

Tam peered into the house and screamed. Anna turned to see what had caused the panic attack.

Luc had decided he wasn’t really into looking like a Persian cat after all. He must have needed something roomier, because sprawled across her entryway floor was a giant lion with a look in his eyes that was way too self-aware for her taste. He let out a little roar for good measure, looking like the MGM lion and causing Tam to jump back. He slunk over to Anna and nudged her hand like a kitten that wanted to be petted.

“This isn’t amusing, Luc.” Anna tried to sound stern, but her lips kept twitching into a smile. She was coming to feel almost safe with the weird little annoying things he did. It was better than the angst and brooding, anyway.

“Bitsy and Mimi are gonna be by for their morning walk any minute. I don’t want them to think I’ve got a circus in my house.” She thought she saw him lift one shoulder in a shrug as he turned and went to the other side of the room.

“That’s the incubus?” Tam looked disturbed.

“He normally looks human,” Anna said, as he changed back into his human form. She was mildly surprised to see him wearing a black silk shirt and matching slacks. Demons could shift outfits, too? They were quite the magical multi-talents. She’d have to ask him about that later.

Tam leaned in and whispered, “Hot damn! This is what’s living in your house? I thought you were crazy for wanting to come back yesterday, but now I can see why. I’d risk my life for some of that, too.”

Anna could tell he was pretending not to hear, though he couldn’t seem to help preening at the attention.

“Yeah, well, usually it’s even worse. Most of the time he’s shirtless, looking like he’s about to pose for a Harlequin cover. Let me just get the kitchen straightened up, and we can get started.”

She tossed the dishes into the washer and wiped down the counters, hoping none of the harem came downstairs before she had a chance to explain things to Tam. That was not a conversation she was looking forward to having. Explaining that she was now the madam of an incubus whorehouse sounded less than fun at the moment.

When Anna returned, Tam was cozied up on the couch with the incubus. She cleared her throat, and the two of them looked up guiltily. Of course they were guilty. They looked far too snuggly together on the couch, talking like old lovers sharing inside jokes. If he thought he could sleep with her friends, he was insane. Feeding him did not include giving him access to every female she knew.

“Stay away from her.” She wasn’t sure if her voice shook from anger or fear.

He looked up, his expression mild. “Why? Are you jealous?”

“Oh yes, I’m jealous that you might suck the life right out of her. Pick me, please pick me.”

“Really, nothing was going on,” Tam said, stars still in her eyes.

Anna ignored her. She wasn’t angry with her friend. Who could resist Luc? He had that nefarious thrall thing going on that he was probably using to make Anna jealous. Which wasn’t working, by the way.

She grabbed Tam by the arm and had to practically drag her into the kitchen.

“He’s so . . . wow,” Tam said. Her voice was dreamy and breathless, like a Stepford Wife. That bastard had hypnotized her. Anna was going to find a way to rip his appendages from his body, starting with the one he needed most for survival.

“Yes, I have eyes. I can see him. But I’m not going to think about having sex with him because I have this thing called a survival instinct.”

Tam’s eyes lit up like she thought she was in on a secret. “You like him.”

“I do not!”

“But there was banter. I saw it.”

“We don’t banter. We snark, and that’s a completely different vibe,” Anna said.

“He likes you. Didn’t you see the way he looks at you?”

“You mean like a fancy restaurant he can’t get a reservation at?”

Tam was drooling a little bit. “But just look at him . . . My God, the muscles he must have hidden under that shirt.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “He’s trying to seduce you.”

Luc walked in then, a mask of mock indignation on his face. “I am doing no such thing.”

“Think about this for a second, Tam. Incubi are shapeshifters. They’re obviously going to pick a form that’s sexually appealing.”

Luc poured himself a glass of juice. “I’ll have you know, this has been my human form for going on more than five hundred years now. Also, I’m standing right here.”

“Then leave.”

“I told you, I can’t leave the house.”

“The house is big. Go to the far end of it.” She turned her attention back to Tam. “As I was saying, that’s an illusion he creates to lure women into his bed. His real form is probably very scary, like put you in an institution scary.” Her eyes widened as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

“What?” Luc said.

“Sara Johnson.” She backed away, remembering Caroline’s daughter in the psych ward. “That’s why . . . ”

“Let me explain.” His palms were up in a placating gesture as he inched closer to her.

Anna stared at him and shook her head, backing up even further until she reached the door. She fumbled behind her for the knob that released her into the garden, not taking her eyes from him as she stumbled down the steps.

When she was far enough away, she finally turned her back to him. The garden was devoid of life, the plants having dried up long ago from lack of care. Even the fountain had been drained. A dark green algae was forming in the bottom.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped before she remembered Luc was trapped inside.

“Are you okay?” Tam asked.

“No. Even with the dreams, sometimes it’s easy to forget what he is.”

“Dreams?” Tam looked intrigued. Probably professional witchy curiosity.

Anna sighed and recounted the previous night’s nocturnal adventures. Like a good friend, Tam shivered at all the appropriate parts.

“I would have lost my shit. Are you sure Cain couldn’t see you in there?”

“Pretty sure.” If he could have, he surely would have addressed her or tried the sexual mind control on her. Or, maybe not while she was in Luc’s body.

Tam glanced back at the house. “You care about him.”

Anna swiped at a tear that had slipped out. “I can’t care about him. He’s a demon. It’s not safe. Besides, it’s too soon. I don’t fall for men this quickly. I want him. But then I figure: he’s hot, I haven’t had a real date in awhile, he’s evil so maybe he’s influencing me.”

She traced her finger over the scar. It was burning again. She scrubbed her palm against her jeans trying to rub away the pain and looked up to find Luc watching her from the kitchen window.

“I can’t get a moment’s peace!” She picked up a smooth rock from the bottom of the fountain and chucked it at the window, but he didn’t move away. The rock bounced harmlessly off and landed in the grass.

“We don’t have to think about the business today. Let’s just take a mental health day.” Tam helped Anna to her feet and led her to the green Mitsubishi parked in the driveway.

Anna laughed hysterically. Tam didn’t realize mental health was definitely something she was in danger of losing.

“Is there any place in particular you want to go?” Tam was still talking in the soothing tone as if Anna were a little rabbit that might get spooked and go hopping away.

“The Golatha Falls Sanitarium.”

Tam quirked a brow.

“There’s someone I have to see.” Anna was going to remind herself once and for all what Luc was. She was going to get herself back on track with her plan and forget the lies he’d carefully constructed to seduce her.

Anna hadn’t been gone thirty minutes when Olivia stumbled into the living room, pale and shaking. Her body weaved like she might pass out. Then she started pacing, a look of panic on her face.

Before Luc could say or do anything, Karen came into the room. “Sit down and calm down, Olivia.”

The bottle blonde shook her head furiously and kept pacing, growing more agitated.

“What’s wrong with her?” Luc was standing back, unsure what was going on or if he should intervene.

“Withdrawal,” Karen said. “Most of us are clean, but her pimp kept her so coked out she barely knew her name half the time. I’m surprised your girl didn’t notice last night.”

Hehadn’t noticed last night, and he’d had her in his bed. Then again, Luc had been pretty hungry. Looking for symptoms of drug addiction hadn’t been on his to-do list at the moment.

“Olivia,” he said.

Her head jerked up. Her eyes were wild.

“Come here.” He stared deeply into her eyes and put a heavy dose of hypnotic suggestion in his voice. She stood in front of him, putty in his hands, waiting for his next command.

He should have sensed this last night. She was so pliable. She’d been pliable the night before, too. Drug addicts were always easier to control.

He put his hands gently on either side of her face, needing a physical connection to control her mind more strongly.

“What are you doing? Anna said you couldn’t . . . not twice in a row.”

The fear in Karen’s voice was palpable and distracting.

“I’m not feeding. I’m going to help her.”

“How?”

He growled in frustration at the twenty questions routine and Karen took a step back. “I have no intention of harming anyone in this house. Sit down, and let me concentrate.”

She sat in a nearby chair and didn’t say another word, her eyes riveted to him and what he was doing with her friend.

Olivia was shaking against him. “I have to go back . . . I need . . . ”

“Shhh. You don’t need anything. Listen to me, Olivia. You don’t need the drugs. You are not a drug addict. You don’t do cocaine. You will have no pain, no withdrawal symptoms, no bad dreams. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” she said a little breathlessly.

When he took his hands off her face, Olivia looked around, seemingly embarrassed and confused as to why she was in the living room. The shaking and restlessness had stopped.

“Is there anything to eat?”

“I’ll make you some pancakes if you go into the kitchen,” Luc said.

She blushed as she seemed to come back to herself and remember their activities the night before, but just nodded.

He smirked. A prostitute blushing. It was adorable.

Karen watched him, slack-jawed. “What did you just do?” she asked when the other girl was out of earshot.

“Gave her a strong suggestion. It’ll keep her from experiencing the symptoms while she’s going through withdrawal. I’ll need to use a new suggestion every day until she’s in the clear.”

Luc sank into a chair. It would have been nice if Anna hadn’t run off terrified of him. She would have witnessed him playing the hero; he could have used the brownie points.