Page 79 of Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring
“Well, before you jump to saying yes, you need to know one more thing.”
I start and then stutter, my thoughts scattering like marbles dropped on tile.
Apollo squeezes my hand.
“Oh, just say it,”Charlie quacks.
“This place is magical,” I blurt.
Irene chuckles. “Yeah, you guys sure made it live up to the name. Those glowing crystals in the lobby are atmospheric AF.”
“No. Irene…” I sigh. “I’m a witch and Paul…Apollois not human. Magic is real.”
That perfect eyebrow comes up to another strong point. “Come on, don’t try to spook me now.”
“I’m not trying to spook you, just the opposite. I want you to be comfortable working here. I want you to know the truth and still want to be here. I didn’t want to keep a secret like this from my friend.”
She looks between us. “Prove it.”
I nodded, figuring that was coming next. “Do you want a parlor trick or the full monty?”
She sucks her lips into a fine line and bites down. I can’t tell if she’s angry or scared.
“Hit me with the full monty,” she says finally.
I look at Apollo and nod.
His human façade melts away like ice, revealing his dark skin and swirling tattoos. Irene screams, throwing her chair back so fast she falls with it. I reach forward, summoning the wind tocatch her and right the chair. The gust blows our lunch off the table, scattering chips and sandwich quarters all over the floor.
Irene pants heavily. Her eyes are wide and locked on me, her knuckles white and locked on the table. “What. The. Fuck.”
“I must apologize,” Apollo starts. “I didn’t mean to scare you and your boyfriend those years ago. I was hungry and you were both putting off so much energy—”
“Okay, one thing at a time,” I cut him off with a glare. I right our empty cups and fill them with champagne. “Let me start from the beginning.”
When the bottle is empty and we’re only about halfway through explaining what Apollo is and how magic works, I open a red and give us both a refill. Irene relaxes on her third glass, taking deeper breaths and getting more inquisitive. Her gaze stops darting to Apollo in fear so much. He hasn’t moved an inch since revealing himself.
“You were watching us that night?” Irene asks Apollo when she’s downed her fourth glass.
Apollo nods. “I was trying to gather enough energy to sustain my form.”
“Aaaand, will you befeedingoff our customers?” she asks and my heart does a little leap.
Ourcustomers.
“No, Sylvia is everything I need,” he says, looking at me affectionately.
Heat creeps up my neck to my face as Irene’s eyes drift over to me, a lewd smile on her lips. “Is that so?”
“Anyway, so that’s that. Now you know. Do you still want to work for me?” I ask in a rush.
“For you and your kinky, voyeuristic demon boyfriend?” she asks, swinging her empty glass between us as she points.
I hold my breath and nod.
She snorts. “OfcourseI do! Now that I know I’m not batshit crazy and that the haunting was pretty benign—you’re still a creeper, though,” she says, pointing at Apollo, “everything’s great.”
“Are you going to feel this way in the morning when the alcohol has left your system?” Apollo asks.
