Page 23 of Signed in Incubus

“Ugh! I thought I ditched him. How the hell did he know I was here?”

“Um, sweetie.” Griselda looked pointedly at me. “The bindings lead straight to you.”

Lily’s eyes went wide. “Bindings? Oh my god, you didn’t…” She squinted at me. “Oh my god, youdid! It’s such a fine thread that I never would’ve seen it if I didn’t know to look for it. Damn, girl. You’ve been a very bad witch. “

“It wasn’t on purpose!” I explained what happened with the spell.

“You mean the spell that’s been going around on the forum? I’m pretty sure that doesn’t have a binding aspect to it.” Lily knocked back the rest of her drink and got up to make herself another.

“I know. That’s why I say it wasn’t on purpose. I must have fucked up somewhere. You know I’m not as good at this whole witch thing as the two of you.” Then I told her about the shifter from earlier today.

“Hmm, I think you’re right. Something got messed up somewhere.”

The doorbell rang again, and Gigi turned her phone around to show Prax still in his swashbuckling pirate outfit.

“Yummy!” Lily squealed. “If you don’t want him, I’ll totally take him.”

“I didn’t say that!” I snapped.He’s mine! All mine!Whoa—where the hell had that thought come from? “It’s that I told him it was a girls’ night out and he wasn’t invited. I mean, after the whole wedding disaster, I thought I’d have some time to be single. You know, find myself or whatever. When I cast that spell, I didn’t expect it to send me someone right that second, but Prax justpoofed into my living room. So weird. Like, an incubus is a strange choice for that spell, don’t you think?”

“Very.” Gigi had produced a hand mirror and was meticulously applying dark red lipstick. “I’ve heard of demons and incubi finding mates, but it’s not common. They earned their reputation for a reason.”

“Well, what are we going to do about this one? We can’t exactly stop him from following us to the club.”

“I say we let him tag along and see what happens. Maybe the bouncer will stop him at the door.”

“Couldn’t he just phase right into the club?” I asked.

“Not into this one,” Gigi said. “You haven’t been to Darlington clubs. They’re special. Although, unless he’s caused shit at this particular establishment before, the bouncers would probably still let him in.”

“Especially if he looks that good. Damn!”

“All right,” I sighed. “I guess he can tag along.”

Chapter 12

Prax

What type of placewas this? Back when I’d been a free incubus, there hadn’t been anything like this. There’d been rowdy taverns where folks, both locals and travelers alike, danced and made merry with mead in their blood and music in their ears. And the rich had thrown parties with plenty of good food and expensive wine. This place—Delerium, it was called—was neither of those.

It reminded me of nights eons ago with witches gyrating to the beat of the drums by the bonfire under the full moon. Except there was no bonfire here, and it was not a full moon, and instead of the witches of old and their demons and incubi making magic with their bodies, there were all types here. I’d been to a modern bar in Darlington with some of the creatures who also worked with Desmon, but this wasn’t the same. Here, humans and monsters danced under the flashing lights.

Music had come a long way since way back when, and I was glad to hear that some of the ancient tribal drum beats had made it back into vogue. There were so many musical styles now, and it was one of the things about this century I was eager to explore. That, and the rumbling steel horses. Technically, all the cars I’d been driving belonged to Desmon or the Redrock brothers. A nice car was one of the first purchases I planned on making.

The music being played here, with its primal driving beat and soaring melodic lines, made me want a good sound system too.

The man at the door, whom Penny had called abouncer, hadn’t even tried to hide the fact that he was a fire demon and allowed his eyes to glow with supernatural flames. In fact, no one hid what they were here. Judging by the surprise on Penny’s face, this shocked her as well.

She wasn’t surprised by the scenes inside the club, however. Only by the fact that monsters didn’t try to hide themselves here. Which told me she’d been to places like this before.

Why would my sweet little witch be in a place like this? What was she hiding behind that proper façade?

Penny and her friends were making their way to a long counter that had to be a bar. The three females had already imbibed before coming here. I’d known the moment Gigi had opened the door. Tipsy Penny was totally adorable, especially when she grabbed onto me to keep her balance.

I scanned the crowd, taking in all the sights. There were monsters of every kind gyrating to the music. Some wore glamour, but most were in their natural forms.

Two women danced together, their bodies undulating sensually to the music. Their focus was completely on each other, and they were oblivious to everyone else around them. Two wolf shifters moved to the beat with a woman between them, their bodies hinting at what would happen later tonight. Sexual energy poured from these couples and throuples, and it beckoned me to bask in it.

Most of the revellers here were either drunk or intoxicated by some other substances, and those who weren’t were well on the way there. I was surrounded by lust, sin, and decadence. It was a little slice of heaven for an incubus. Why had no one shown me this place before? I could have stayed here forever and luxuriated in the very essence that filled the air.

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