Page 22 of The Rowan
Theron needs to know there’s something suspicious going on with Merindah. She’s paying Arden way too much attention for a new colleague. I turn from the railing towards the elevators, but Solange stops me.
“My father is here. You need to come say hello,” she drawls in that sensual voice of hers. Linking her fingers in mine, she pulls me over to where her father is standing with two young women, and distaste twists my mouth as I stare at him. Supposedly, he’s happily committed to Solange’s mother, but he plays hard when he’s away from her. With a blank face, I wait for him to give me a nod of respect before I engage him in conversation. I make a mental note to mention Merindah to Theron later.
13
ASTOR
The incubus in me stirs as I watch Arden finish the latest bloodline test. Sometimes, I’m not sure if I’m the incubus or if it’s a separate entity. I imagine it’s similar to how a wolf shifter feels. The wolf is separate, and yet they are one and the same. My incubus is separate, always craving, and yet we’re the same. It wants, and so do I.
Hunger and darkness swirl, desperate for a taste of her and her power. It sees only one and yet wants both. I shudder. She’s everything we hate, I tell it and myself. She’s light and balance, and her magic comes from the soul, not from sex and blood.
But every night, her power whispers to me, driving me to the edge while I mentally devour her from the VIP section. I don’t know if I want to fuck or fight her.
Her long legs eat up the floor as she approaches, utterly gorgeous, and the incubus in me roars, panting for a sample. I ruthlessly hold myself in check.
“Hello, gorgeous. Ready to get your ass kicked?” I smirk.
“I just need a second, and I’ll be ready,” she replies offhandedly, typing into her phone.
What the fuck?it roars.
Nobody dismisses me, man or woman. My incubus breaks the chains, filling the air with lust and desire. I watch, waiting for her response. Her nipples peak tightly under her shirt, and my cock hardens at this sign. Her hand moves down her body to her leg and…scratches? Then she shuffles, squeezing her legs together as if trying to soothe herself. Ah, that’s more like it. My darkness reaches out to stroke her clit and hits a wall.
Seriously. What the hell is going on?it roars.
“Stop using your incubus powers,” she commands. “They make me itch.” She puts away her phone and crosses her arms. “I apologize. I needed to text Santiago to see if he would be willing to meet with me this week.”
“Santiago? Why?” I demand, wondering why she has to meet the sneaky bastard.
“He’s the head of bloodline six,” she replies, as if that answers my question.
“And?” I prompt her.
“And he’s the only one who can teach me how witches transfigure,” she states, narrowing her eyes at me. “Is that okay with you?”
“One of us should go with you,” I grumble. “Don’t go alone. And make sure you come back and tell me all about it. I’ve never transfigured nor seen a witch do it. I’d really like to learn more.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Are we training today or what?” she reminds me.
Making a mental note to follow up with Theron about her planned visit to Santiago’s, I jump into the training. “I need to figure out the best place to start. Do you have a grimoire or something you’ve been using to learn?”
She pulls a grimoire out of thin air and floats it over to me.
Holding my hand over the book, I quickly skim the spells, incantations, potion recipes, and other bits and pieces. The magic covers everything from the most basic of spells, like lighting fire, to more complex incantations, like power amplifiers. Okay, I think I know where to start, and she won’t like it.
“You can do all of these spells? And well?” I demand.
“Yes, I’ve had plenty of time on my hands. Over three hundred years with nothing to do but train. Physically, mentally, with magic, without magic. Pick a spell,” she challenges me.
“Share a power with me,” I tell her.
“Done,” she replies, lightning fast.
I frown, not feeling any changes. She walks over to stand directly in front of me and automatically, my mind strips the clothes from her body, my body and magic straining to be inside her. Her eyes narrow, and a wicked grin slides onto her face. She glances down at my body—my naked, rune-covered body. The one thing standing between her and I…is my hard cock, jutting out, saluting her.
Startled, I stumble back a step. Abruptly, the vision disappears. “What the hell?” I rasp, need making my voice tight.
“I thought an incubus like yourself would appreciate the spell,” she drawls, a smirk lifting the corner of her mouth. “You can share anything, and it feels real. It’s like an illusion or glamour created inside your mind, instead of perceiving it as an external vision. Did you like it?”
