Page 4 of Infernal Hearts

“It was implied.”

I smirk—she’s stubborn and impossible but brutally honest. I need that sometimes.

Around the corner, tucked beneath a liquor store at the bottom of some wet concrete stairs, we finally find our destination. Rani sneers as she reads the door sign of the little shop. “A psychic? Have you really stooped so low? Not to be a total bitch, but why don’t you try Google instead? Might be more useful.”

At least she’s amusing. Like a Real Housewife of the Supernatural. “Of course I tried Google. Why do you think we’re here? He was the only one in a hundred-mile radius worth his salt.”

She pulls down her sunglasses, revealing the large slits down the center of her yellow eyes, narrowing them. She adopts a condescending smile. “So you say.”

I raise my hands in surrender. It’s better not to push her any further than I already have. She gets feisty when she’s hungry. “If you’d rather stay out here, by all means.”

She crosses her arms and leans against the brick of the building. “You have ten minutes. Then we’re moving onto something more productive.”

“Don’t be mad—”

“Tick tock, Levi.”

My lips press together in a tight line. “Message received.”

Despite the shop’s modest exterior, the inside is surprisingly elegant. Dark swathes of eggplant fabric coat the walls. A pristine glass counter sits at the front of the shop, shining under the recessed lighting, antique cases all around the room filled with grim souvenirs. Bleached skulls. Strange talismans. Things that were once living suspended in liquid-filled jars.

Such a comforting atmosphere. Delightful, really.

A shuffle sounds in the corner, and I turn just in time to spot a man in a black suit step out of the back room, his fingers decorated with golden rings and his ears covered in matching piercings. He halts upon noticing my presence as his gaze locks into my own. For once, I can’t read whether it’s out of fear or attraction.

“You aren’t human.” He takes a step backward, face turning pallid and lips trembling.

I chuckle. “Correct.”

His voice shudders, shrill as beads form on his forehead. “Are you here to hurt me?”

“On the contrary, I’m about to make your night.” The back of my mind reaches deep inside my heart, tapping into my gifts. It’s like an electric current runs through my eyes as everything my gaze touches glows purple. I love this part.

I walk toward him, his feet still frozen in place. His face, however, flushes with a newfound color as his muscles relax.

I slide my hand up his chest. “You know magic is real?”

“Yes.” He nods, grinning a slack smile.

“Tell me, what do you know about incubi?” My fingers gently press the back of his neck.

“They’re dangerous.” His face fills with concern, but I just turn my powers up to half strength. He settles down again. “And beautiful.”

“Well, thank you, handsome.” The tips of my fingers trace circles on his exposed skin. “But how do you track them down?”

He pauses for a moment and sinks deeper into my gaze. “I think you just have to be lucky enough. But all incubi are connected through their magic—they should be able to sense each other.”

“And what if…” I hesitate, not wanting to admit my failings, but I keep going with the line of questioning—he won’t remember any of this anyway. “What if I’m not strong enough to sense him?”

He nods excitedly, hurrying to the case. “This amulet. It amplifies demonic magic. I may not know much, but I know what sells to the right bidder.” He pulls out a leather cord with a purple crystal fastened to the center and eagerly hands it over.

I move it around in my fingers, listing the possible consequences of putting it on. Fuck it. Slipping it over my neck, a rush of magic flows throughout my body—making it exponentially easier to keep him in his trance. His mind is as perfectly clear as glass, as soft and malleable as putty, draining bare slivers of energy from my core.

But this doesn’t completely solve my problem.

Digging deep into my well of magic, I reach into the ether, searching for a pull in any direction. Finally, I get flashes through my head: steep craggy mountains, an endless forest, and a town sign that says, “Windy Peak.”

I purse my lips for a moment. The violet light from my irises flashes on his face. He smiles at me in a stupor, but I know I’m at a dead end. Aside from this trinket, he’s likely a fraud.

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