Page 118 of Inflamed By an Incubus

She levelled a dark look on Rosalind.

Fenix did too.

Rosalind’s lips thinned and for a moment he thought she would tell them all to go to hell, but then she huffed and the tension melted from her. She muttered, “Fine. I’ll call him Archer.”

There was a definite pout to those words.

The air around Evelyn cooled again and she turned away from Rosalind and began walking. Archer followed close on her heels. Fenix cast one last warning look at Rosalind and then followed. Evelyn glanced at Archer, worry in her eyes, and Fenix could feel the shift in her mood and knew the source of it. Archer had been referring to her when he had mentioned helping a friend. Fenix didn’t want his mate trusting the warlock and falling foul of his plan to use her to free Aryanna, didn’t trust him when he said he wouldn’t kill her, and he hated the male with a passion, but he couldn’t fault her for feeling as if the warlock was her friend.

Because he had been.

Fenix had seen it himself.

When he had first discovered her location over a year ago and had begun watching her from afar, he had seen how close she was to Archer, and had seen the male protect her more than once. Archer had taken care of her, and deep in Fenix’s heart, he knew the warlock had done it because he cared about her and not because he had been protecting a valuable asset and keeping his plan in motion. The two of them had gone out for drinks or coffee at least once a week, had laughed and teased, and had taken care of each other, cheering the other up whenever they were down or helping them through a crisis.

The two of them had appeared so close that watching them at times had been unbearable, the white-hot jealousy he had felt driving him to part them, to make sure Evelyn didn’t fall for Archer.

Only she never had.

She had never looked at the male in the way she looked at Fenix. From the moment she had set eyes on him, there had been a spark of warmth and interest in them that hadn’t existed when she had been looking at Archer.

Love.

Maybe her theory was right and she always loved him. She just didn’t remember that she felt that way about him until she saw him again.

They trudged along the treeline, sticking to cover beneath the pines as they headed in silence towards the stronghold at the far end of the valley. When they were close, Hartt halted and his binoculars appeared in his hand again. A neat trick that all elves possessed. They could call anything they owned to them no matter where they were or where it was. Fenix was a little jealous of that talent. It meant the elves could travel light, didn’t need to bring any necessities with them—like swords.

Hartt and Vail had offered to arm everyone with the weapon of their choice before the battle began.

It hadn’t stopped Evelyn from packing her guns, strapping them over her thick black woollen sweater she wore beneath her coat.

He hoped they didn’t have tranquiliser darts in them. They weren’t here to make friends. Although, if Drystan was here, then knocking him out sounded like a good plan. It would give them time to build a cage for him so they could ensure he didn’t escape while they were questioning him and forcing him to lift the curse.

“I can do a spell to see what we’re dealing with,” Rosalind said.

Just as Archer released several cerulean orbs of magic that shot through the trees, whizzing between the trunks as their light faded and then disappeared.

Rosalind huffed.

Archer slid her a wicked look. “What? Are you upset that you’re not the only magic user in the group now? No longer feeling special?”

“Not really.” Her slight shoulders lifted in an easy shrug and then her gaze grew sincere as she pressed her right palm to her chest and smiled fondly at Archer. “I just want you to know it’s been swell and it was so nice knowing you.”

His brow crinkled and confusion lit his eyes.

And then Vail snarled and launched past her, barrelled into Archer and took him down, landing hard on top of him.

Chapter 35

Archer took several blows to his face as he struggled to catch up with what was happening.

Rosalind mock-gasped, her eyes wide. “Shoot! I forgot to mention my husband hates magic being used around him unannounced.”

Vail gripped Archer by his forehead and began bashing the back of his skull into the snowy dirt, his lips twisting in a vicious sneer as the pointed tips of his ears flared back against the sides of his head.

When Archer’s eyes went fully black, Rosalind was swift to lunge for her mate, her hands coming down on his shoulders as he growled at the warlock, flashing his fangs.

“That’s enough now, gorgeous. I think he got the point. Your mate needs cuddle time.” Rosalind squeaked as Vail shoved Archer’s head against the uneven ground, twisted to stand in one fluid move and swept her up into his arms.

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