Page 25 of Wicked Succubus

“Prince . . .” A gorgeous woman with blue hair and gray eyes comes up to us. My hackles immediately rise, and my hand twitches. I wish I would’ve brought something other than gum to defend myself. I thought this would be a small cottage in the countryside or something, not this grand palace.

I’m quickly pushed aside by the woman. All I can do is stand there and look confused. I’ve never wanted much attention because having people notice me was dangerous. But fuck it, I’m feeling a little salty right now. I use a very tiny amount of power to attract the faeries to me. A flock of men start heading my way.

“Are you with someone?” the first man asks.

Another one says, “I’ve never seen you before.”

“Twirl around for us,” the one from behind me voices.

They think I’m a human they can compel because they can’t smell me as another one of them or a supernatural. I chuckle and play their little game, doing as he says. They can’t make me do shit, but I don’t let them know.

“You can stop now,” the same guy says.

I look over at Agent Cooper. He’s still flirting with the girl, but another two barely dressed women come up. It doesn’t take long before he’s surrounded. Everyone tries to get his attention.

“Do you want to take me inside and maybe show me around?” I wink at the faerie standing in front of me, and his smile lights up.

These men are all handsome. That’s what I hate about them, they lure innocent human men and women with their looks and their dreamy words. I extend my hand, and he grabs it immediately, while my entourage of men trails behind me. I don’t even look back at Agent Cooper. I’m sure he’d rather have the company of the half-naked women than mine.

The interior of this fortress—because that’s what this place is—is even more magnificent than the exterior. The door is embellished with ornate moldings. The walls are covered in turquoise, just like Agent Cooper’s eyes, or whatever the hell his name is here. The curtains are a deep blue silk with gray accents. The main lobby has a sixty-foot ceiling, two grand staircases on each side, marble floors, and in the middle, there’s a crest that says Spring Court. The ceilings have intricate patterns that look hand-carved. These people must be perfectionists because it is flawless. Suspended from the ceiling is an elaborate chandelier. Right below it sits a three-tiered fountain decorated with turquoise flowers that I’ve never seen before.

“My home is just as spectacular,” the handsome fae says to me, but I’ve quickly forgotten about him.

I’m making it my mission to find Agent Cooper’s room to see if I can uncover any secrets to use against him. You never know when you might need a little blackmail. The man I walked in with gets distracted by another newcomer. I drop the glamour and walk away from people the way I normally do so I won’t be seen. I take the opportunity to make my escape. As I look around, it seems like everyone is in their own world, so I slide up the stairs unnoticed.

There are human servants, and I want to puke at the way some of these faeries are treating them. They’re glamouring them, making them do what they want, and the humans happily comply with smiles on their faces. Some are here because they lost their way and ended up in Faerie. Others have been stolen from their homes. They all look to be in their twenties and thirties. That’s the age most faeries prefer. They don’t age here; they stand at a standstill. They could be one hundred and still look twenty-one.

This place has so many rooms. I make a mental note of all the extravagant and slightly creepy portraits, using them as a guide to figure out my way back. I leave the chatter behind, climbing up another set of stairs. As much as these heels make me look and feel pretty, I wish I had my combat boots instead. The heels make a loud clicking sound, and I try to tiptoe. I turn into a hallway and nearly stumble back, but another man grabs me. Shit, I’ve encountered the guards. He says something to me in a foreign language, and I just stare at him dumbly.

He rolls his eyes and then asks, “Are you lost?”

They wear black button-up uniform shirts with the Spring Court emblem on the right-hand side. It looks dressy and useful for combat—unlike my outfit in every way. They also wear black leather pants and tall boots with turquoise accents.

What is it with this place? Everywhere I turn, I’m reminded of Agent Cooper’s eyes.

“What are you?” The one next to him asks, and my body tenses.

I look like a human and not a supe. I can’t come out and say, Hey guys, I’m a Succubus. I’d be killed on the spot.

He yells in a foreign language and more guards appear. They all start to circle me. I walk backward but immediately bump into a guard. I take a couple of steps forward and move in a different direction. I want to unleash my power, but I rein it in tightly. I can’t let it out, not here, not ever. Small amounts of glamour when the prince isn’t watching me is one thing, but unleashing my power would be too dangerous. I back up again slowly and hit the wall. I turn around, noticing it’s another guard. This one is stockier than the rest. Another man speaks in the same strange language, and my hands start to shake in panic.

Fuck! Why do I get myself into weird situations?

I regret attempting to snoop around. This was a bad idea. One of them tries to touch my hair, and I swat his hand away. They all laugh. Another one grips my arm hard. My power rises to the surface, and I try to contain it as best as I can, but it’s hard when I’m being attacked.

“Leave me alone,” I growl, but it’s useless, they won’t do as I say unless I add some of my energy.

“Why should we?” says a gruff voice behind me.

I turn to see a fae with a long red beard and piercing dark eyes staring back at me.

“You’re just a mere human, nothing more than a toy,” he continues with disdain.

Anger flashes through me at his fucked-up words. I already hate this asshole. “I’m a shifter,” I lie.

“No, you’re not. You don’t smell like it.” Another gets close to me to sniff. He grabs my dress trying to pull me to him, and I push his chest away from me.

“Fuck off!” I yell. “I’m here with Prince—”

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