Page 58 of The Incubus Curse

“We’ve discovered that Azrael is charming vampires, somehow able to charm them simultaneously at great lengths. He’s sent several across the States in search of you, and he has your mother held at his home base as leverage, should he need her. He’s not particularly fond of half-breeds, so that is why we think he killed your father.” His eyes flashed to Tina and Oliver at the mention of half-breeds as his face scowled almost distastefully.

“Azrael?” I asked, only because the name wasn’t familiar to me.

“God, your generation learns nothing,” Daemon grumbled. “Azrael is one of the first succubus. One of the ancients. His brother is Gadriel, one of the first deathwalkers. One of the legends of our particular beginnings says that Azrael was one of the fallen angels cast out of heaven, and his curse was never seeing his love again. Of course, this is all myth so who knows how accurate it is. However, Raminia, his love, was said to have been one of the purest of hearts. She was left in heaven, and his lust for her made him darken his soulas he withered away on earth, turning him into what we all are now. A succubus, driven by lust and desire. His curse is said to have created our kind, and like all the other fallen angels, they grew to become their own curses. Gadriel was of the flesh, of vanity and fear of aging now that he was deemed mortal compared to the angels in heaven. And so on.” He spoke with his hands in the air, flailing them in annoyance. “How ironic is it that their fears consumed them to the point of darkening their soul entirely.” He laughed inward toward himself for only a moment. “Anyways, they are the last of the ancients alive, hunted to near extinction hundreds of years ago because demons grew tired of them trying to rule over the rest of us. History does always seem to have a way of repeating itself. We’re pretty sure they must have been hiding away in the mountains of Canada, waiting for their chance to come back with a vengeance. Or maybe hoping we all forgot our history.”

“How do you know all this?” Oliver asked.

When I looked back, Tina and Freya held hands wide-eyed as if trying to take everything in. Not that I could blame them; this was all new to evenme.

“When you’re as old as me, you just know things. Like how I know there’s a ball of sorts being held at that club of yours in two days. Azrael really has no faith in you remaining hidden that long, given he’s already mentioned that he’s hopeful the angel will be there by then.” He sipped at his drink. “I am curious how that appetite of yours is doing with her around.”

Everyone’s eyes darted to Freya’s, even mine. It was hard not to.

Her face blushed, and then she frowned almost instantly. “What isthatsupposed to mean?” She spoke for the first time,probably realizing that pretending she was anything other than what she was, was pointless.

“Oh, little angel, I knew you had to be fiery. I thought maybe Dustin had gone soft on me here.” Daemon winked. “But there is a reason that angels are extinct, orwere.”

“Enlighten me.” She sassed, and I loved when she spewed attitude, but now felt tense. More so because I had no idea how Daemon would react to her, and now that I knew how strong he was, I wasn’t sure if I would win a battle if I had to fight him. I had no reservations about that if it was needed. I would burn the world for the people that I loved. For the-

Fuck- did I just admit that I loved her?

Daemon licked his lips before he responded to her. “Angels are addicting, delicious little creatures. Some of the rumors are just folklore meant to scare demons, probably started by angels themselves, if we’re being honest, but if you’re not careful, you will become dependent on the taste of an angel. On the revelation that everything else tastes bland. And trust me when I tell you that is a dangerous game. Because once you realizethat, you’ll never be satisfied ever again. Might go mad even. Men have gone mad over far less.”

“Or turn Incubus?” She added, her heels pressed to the floor as she leaned forward eagerly.

He laughed. “I’m surprised you know the word, but I wouldn’t worry about Incubuses. They’re rare, and half of the so-called Incubuses they find and execute in the States are hardly what you’d classify an Incubus as. The Elders here have always been worried about the curse of the Incubus, so much so that they executed anyone who even sniffed the wrong way. It’s one of the reasons why Full bred Succubi didn’t want to live in the States in the first place.”

“But an angelcancause someone to turn Incubus?” She continued to ask, and I wanted to stop her. Wanted to change the subject honestly. My skin felt like it was prickling beneath the surface at the mere mention of an Incubus.

“Oh. You’re worried about him.” Daemon chuckled inwardly, briefly flashing his eyes at me before looking back at Freya. “Little angel, if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that your kind has been nearly eradicated from this earth for a very long time. And in everything I’ve seen, I’ve only ever witnessed angels as food. So, to answer your question, I don’t know. I would caution him to be careful around you. Feeding solely on you would likely be a death sentence and a first-class ticket to becoming an Incubus if I had to guess, but no one knows the specifics, and frankly, no one has been dumb enough to fall for one. But just so you’re aware, becoming an Incubus has to do with your appetite, self-control, and genetics. It seems only succubus descendants from the fallen angel Dreguez are susceptible—something to do with his particular curse. Though, as I said, your Elders here in the States classify anything dangerous as Incubus, so I wouldn’t worry about your lover boy here. You’ll know if he turns. He’ll go mad before fully becoming one.”

“Great.” I rolled my eyes.

“It’s okay. We won’t let that happen.” Freya entwined her fingers in my own, lifting them to her lips as she kissed my tethered hands. The warmth felt refreshing, and I drank in the idea of her lips on me for a split second.

“So what now? Why are you telling us all this?” Oliver tore me back to reality.

“Great question.” Daemon pulled a seat up, flipping it backward as he leaned forward over the back of the chairwith his arms folded over it. “I intend on killing the ancient. Lucky for me, he’s pissed off a decent amount of demons in the States. More particularly, the vampire hives. He’s poked a lot of hornet nests by turning vampires into charmed ones to do his bidding like lackeys, and news of it has caught like fire in a windstorm. I was actually here following a charmed one out of curiosity. It seems one was living under Edward’s nose. I saw Sophie - a familiar face - warning her of the charmed ones hiding in plain sight, and well, now we’re here.”

“And how is it that you know each other?” Tina scratched her head, looking toward Sophie. “Aren’t you just another half-breed like us?” Her finger pointed to Oliver.

“Half breed, yes. But I’m old. Older than most, though I refuse to accept it.” She shook her hair and smiled. “When you’re this old, you know people. And I might have saved his life once or twice.” She cackled loudly.

“Once.” Daemon corrected. “And now, my debt is paid.”

“Wait… So there was a charmed one at the club? So the ancient knows where I am?!” Freya stood up, her face flushing white. “We need to leave then!”

“Running will only do you so good, little angel.” Daemon laughed. “But don’t worry. The one I found was killed long before you guys arrived. Like I said, I knew you’d be thankful our paths happened to cross.”

I pulled Freya back down, letting her fall into my lap. She didn’t even fight me on it. She just planted herself onto me as she let out a huff of relief, sinking into me further.

I let my hands play with her hair, twirling it and brushing it down with my fingers to calm her. Though, If I was being honest, calming her meant calming me. It was still baffling to know that her emotions continued to bleed into me.

“So why do they want her anyway? What good is an angel to them?” I asked Daemon.

“That is the burning question, is it not? Ancients are fallen angels themselves so it could be related to that. But I don’t really care what the reasoning is. If they want her, I simply don’t want that to happen. Regardless of their reason.” Daemon said with a sly grin curling at the corner of his lips.

“So what now?” Oliver jerked upright. “How do we kill them? How do we save our mother?”

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