42. Luc
42
LUC
The walk back to our rooms feels longer than usual, each of us lost in our own thoughts about what our jaunt into the underground chambers has thrown up. Me, especially. When we reach Tilly’s door, an unholy screech pierces the silence. The sound makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“What the hell?” Vex steps back as Tilly throws open her door.
Inside, her Araxi familiar is going berserk, knocking books off shelves and leaving scorch marks on the walls. Its eyes are molten gold, fixed on Tilly with an intensity I’ve never seen before.
“I’ve got this,” Tilly says, though she looks exhausted. “He’s probably just sensing everything that happened.”
“And pissed off, we warded him and left him out,” Draven mutters.
“That too. But I’ve got this. Go rest. We all need some downtime after that shitshow.”
“You sure?” I ask, not wanting to leave her alone.
She nods, already moving toward the agitated creature with her hands raised. “Go. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
As the door closes behind her, I grab Draven’s arm. “A word, Dray?”
Vex looks between us, then shrugs. “I need a shower anyway. And possibly several drinks.”
Once Vex is gone, I pull Draven into my room next door to Tilly’s.
“What did you mean back there? About taking the hit if Tilly and I...” I can’t even finish the sentence.
Draven runs a hand through his hair, a gesture I recognise as him gathering his thoughts.
“It’s exactly what I said,” he finally answers. “As a master of Necromancy, I can anchor a soul to its body. Temporarily force it to stay, even if something is trying to pull it out.” His eyes meet mine. “Or consume it. It’s not something that is common practice, not even common knowledge, but my dad taught me.” He gives me a weird look. “With the help of your dad.”
I blink and mentally roll my eyes at the parents. They are fucking dicks, sometimes. They knew. Somehow, they fucking knew.
“But it would hurt you,” I say. It’s not a question.
“Yes. Holding a soul in place while something tries to take it is like trying to hold on to a live wire. The longer it goes on, the worse it gets. But I could give you maybe fifteen, twenty minutes, tops.”
I hear the smirk in his voice and give him the finger. But the reality remains, any sex with Tilly is on a timer, and that is a pile of crap on toast. “Fuck.” I turn away. “You’d do that? Put yourself through that kind of pain just so I can fuck her?”
“No, I wouldn’t do it if all you wanted to do was fuck her.”
I turn back to face him. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Just stating it for the record.”
The silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken thoughts.
“There has to be another way. I’m not all Incubus.”
“Maybe. But whatever you’re thinking about your Devil side, Luc, be very fucking careful. That kind of power comes with a price.”
“Doesn’t it always,” I say bitterly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says, pausing at the door. “And Luc? Don’t do anything stupid without talking to me first.”
“Who me?”
He grimaces and disappears.
Once I’m alone, I sink onto my bed. My Incubus nature comes from my father’s side. The need to feed on sexual energy and, ultimately, souls. But our mother’s blood runs just as strong. Devil blood. Power that operates on different rules. Power that remains untapped because I was never interested in it. It was the Incubus blood in my veins that always called to me. Mom didn’t encourage us to taste that side of us. She had the girls for that, our sisters. They are her legacy. We are just side actors in this show. It sounds worse than it is, and maybe I’m embellishing slightly, but the fact remains, my Devil side remains fairly untouched, apart from the Hellfire, but that is child’s play compared to what I am thinking about.
But if I could tap more into that side, strengthen it enough to suppress the Incubus hunger, then maybe this will work out without anyone getting hurt.
I close my eyes, reaching for that other part of myself, the part that whispers of blood and darkness and absolute power. If I could strengthen that side, make it dominant enough to suppress the Incubus hunger when I’m with Tilly.
I move to the window and stare out at the grounds. Down below, I can see the spot where the trap door was, where everything changed. Where I learned that my hunger could actually kill the one person I need in my life.
“Damn it,” I whisper, pressing my forehead against the cold glass.
The truth is, I’ve always held back my Devil side, afraid of what embracing that much power might mean. It was easier to lean into being an Incubus and following my dad’s predictable patterns, understanding the rules of feeding and hunger.
But Mom’s blood offers something else. Raw power. Dominance. If I could strengthen that part of myself, make it the dominant force, the Incubus hunger might become secondary, manageable.
Not suppressed, but overshadowed by something stronger.
I straighten, feeling the familiar warmth of Hellfire coursing through my veins. I’ve been fighting this part of myself for too long.
It won’t be easy. In fact, it will probably be the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. But since learning what my Incubus nature could do to Tilly, I know I have to do it. I won’t give her up. I won’t stay away from her, but I can’t ask Draven to be there every single time I want to have sex with her, either. Or even a heated kiss, anything that sparks the Incubus into action. It’s just not possible for him to always be there to hurt himself for me.
I need to have a conversation with Tilly. I don’t know where I’ll start, but if there’s one thing I learned in that underground chamber today, it’s that playing it safe isn’t an option anymore. Not with what’s coming.
Maybe it’s time to stop fighting what I am and become what I could be.