Page 116 of Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring
My jealousy is completely unwarranted, but I feel it anyway.
Apollo looks at me with a soft smile.
He loves me.
I breathe that knowledge deep and he goes on.
“I never meant to hurt her, and I never knew of her pregnancy,” Apollo says, lifting his hand higher. “I want to do right by you. How can I?”
Mark shakes his head. “You can’t.”
My chest aches with heartbreak for Apollo. I grab his arm and pull him away. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Apollo staggers beside me, his head hanging low. “I’m so sorry.”
I look back at Mark as we leave his office. He’s still horned and sallow skinned, his wings tucked behind him. He’s Apollo’s great-grandson…and he thought Apollo abandoned his great-grandmother.
I know Apollo. I can feel the pain coursing through him. I know that’s not what he would’ve done. He would’ve cared for Elizabeth and her child, despite her not being his mate. He would’ve stayed by her side. He could’ve even forgone his quest to find a mate because all along, all he ever wanted was to have a family.
And he thought he neededmefor that.
But he didn’t.
I walk with him out into the chilly morning and call a rideshare. We stand silently on the sidewalk as we wait, my hand tightly clasping his. He’s stoic. Stony. Unblinking. I want to ask him what’s going on, but I know he needs time. Mark needs time, too.
I can fix this…
I’ve fixed so many things.
I can fix this, too.
thirty-one
He’s a Demon, She’s a Witch
Halloween comes faster than I want, but we’re ready. Irene helped me get word out to everyone in town that we would be putting on a verymagicalshow as soon as the sun set. And of course, we would be giving out candy and bath passes.
“Bring the whole family and make sure you’re ready to record the performance of a lifetime!” the fliers and social posts read. And, boy, did it work.
That, combined with the DJ’s live stream clip going viral and Gabe’s special blowing up, means we’ve got a line of cars stretching all the way back into town, and people are starting to park between the trees.
Apollo tucks me against his side as we look out over the city from the top-level balcony. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
I nod. “Why, are you worried?”
“Not for myself,” he says. “Humans have generally not responded well to witches in the past.”
“That’s true.” I huff out a laugh and turn to face him. “But we’re in a different age now. Sure, we’ll get some hate mail, but not only will this protect us, it’ll allow you to stop wearing this skin that isn’t yours,” I say, cupping his cheek.
He leans into the touch with a smile. “I don’t care about my appearance, just as long as you keep looking at me like this.”
I push onto my tiptoes and he hugs me close as our lips meet. The kiss is not crazed, or burning with passion, but soft like powdery snow, and full of love. He cradles the back of my head and deepens the kiss with slow, languid strokes of his tongue. I tighten my arms around his neck and groan into him.
He releases me and when I open my eyes, I see the real him. His beauty makes my heart ache. I trace one of his horns, across his forehead to the other, and down his cheek to his lips.
“I take it back,” he murmurs. “I want you to look at me likethis.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop being in awe of you.”
