Page 84 of The Vampire's Bride

“On what?” my Vampire snarls.

A sly grin spreads across the Incubus’s face. “Tell me.” He leans in. “Do you still have any of that Elvish wine in your cellar?”

“You drank five bottles the last time you were here,” Valaric says pointedly. “I only have four left.”

“Excellent!” Aerlyx claps his hands together. “Crack open a bottle while I work on the wards. We’ll drink when I’m finished.”

Valaric purses his lips. “Don’t forget the beachfront, and you will need to do the wards at the castle as well.”

“Easily done,” Aerlyx says. “I’ll be back shortly.” He snaps his fingers and disappears in a puff of purple smoke.

My jaw drops. “How did he do that?”

“His kind are able to teleport,” Valaric explains. He turns to me. “Forgive me. I should have given you more warning about his… eccentric personality.”

“I’ve never met an Incubus before,” I reply, “but I’ve heard they can be very mischievous.”

“Consider yourself fortunate to have avoided them until now,” Valaric grumbles. “Most are more trouble than they’reworth. This one is good with wards, however, and aside from his rather forward manner of speaking, he is relatively harmless.”

My mind snags on the term “relatively,” but I push aside my worry. Despite his complaining, Valaric obviously trusts him. If he didn’t, he certainly would not have asked the Incubus to help him enhance the wards here at the manor and the castle.

As if sensing my concern, Valaric adds, “He may be a bit irritating, but he is not a bad person. He’s an Incubus. It is simply his nature to flirt, to tempt, and to tease.”

I am curious about how they know each other. Especially since they are quite opposite in personality. “How did you two meet?”

“We—”

“Excellent question,” Aerlyx calls out from somewhere nearby. I turn toward the sound of his voice and stare, gaping as he steps out of a purple ring of smoke. Once he’s through, it swiftly vanishes behind him. “How about we discuss it over a meal together?”

He saunters toward us, a wickedly playful gleam in his eyes. “I would love to tell you the details of our meeting, Juliet. And then you must tell me how this brooding Vampire swept you off your feet and convinced you to marry him.”

Valaric frowns. “You cannot possibly be finished with the new wards this quickly.”

“Oh, but I am.” Aerlyx looks down at his hands, picking at his claws as if bored. “I assure you, they are all done.”

“How?” Valaric asks incredulously. “The last time you were here, it took you five days.”

“What can I say?” He shrugs casually. “My skills have improved.”

My husband narrows his eyes.

“All right, all right,” Aerlyx holds up his hands in a placating gesture. “I’ll admit that, in the past, I may have stretched thetruth a bit about how long it takes me to create wards. But did it ever occur to you that perhaps I simply wanted to spend more time with a friend?”

“You drank almost all of my wine last time you were here.”

“In my defense.” Aerlyx grins. “I was drinking for two.”

Surprised, my gaze drops to Aerlyx’s abdomen. I’d never heard of a male demon carrying a child, but perhaps—

“I meant that I was drinking for me and him.” Aerlyx points to my husband and winks at me, obviously having figured out where my mind had wandered.

Valaric growls low in his throat and I have a feeling things are going to be rather tense at dinner.

CHAPTER 31

VALARIC

Although I’m annoyed by Aerlyx’s deception, I am glad he was able to finish so quickly. I feel better having the extra wards to keep Juliet safe. Especially after our visit to the clothier. The last thing I want is for an enemy like Stryker to catch us unaware.

---