5. Team Spirits
5
TEAM SPIRITS
JADE
I thank Amira for her time and information about my grandmother, my sigils, and the meditation techniques. Then I wander back toward our cabin so I can take a nap.
In my mind, I sense Osen push forward to catch my attention.
“Yes?” I ask with a bit of irritation. I still haven’t completely let go that Osen has highjacked my body twice.
“I don’t sense your grandmother right now,” Osen reports.
“And you sensed her before?”
“Uh, yeah, that’s why I was bothering you when you were mating with Arran. She was trying to stop you from doing that.”
“Did you get any idea why?” I ask, curious to what he picked up from her.
“She didn’t wish to interact with me. However, I did get a few flickering images from her. I swear I saw Galiana. I believe she knows that witch. It makes sense since they both were in ASO together.”
I absorb that information, but until I talk to my grandmother, I won’t have any answers. “If you pick up her presence again, can you let me know?”
“Of course, sweet witch.”
I roll my eyes at his kiss ass nickname. He knows he fucked up, but I need him to sweat it out a bit more before I forgive him… again.
“Amira isn’t wrong about you having strange magic. Now that it has been unlocked, it feels like fae-born to me. The electric bolts you can innately summon aren’t a witch's ability. At least not without training and a spell. And the soul magic you demonstrate with me is more akin to some types of demons or a hellhound.”
“Could that mean that I have demon blood? Is that why Maxum thinks I might be a mate match?”
“Maybe. But until we get answers about your lineage from your grandmother or elsewhere, we won’t know for sure what you might be.”
“Which means it will be probably harder for me to learn to control my powers until I know,” I say aloud.
“Not necessarily.”
“What do you mean?”
I sense Osen is delighted and proud that I’m interested in what he has to say, and that he can help me.
“We are all built to control the magic within us,” Osen explains. “Some might need more guidance than others. Some are more inclined to abuse their power. But ultimately, we have an instinct to use it. Just like how birds fly and snakes bite, we innately access that part of ourselves if nothing is blocking our way.”
“Like how my grandmother’s pendant blocked me.”
“Yes, but now, you’ll likely find your powers come to the surface with little thought.”
“That seems dangerous.”
“It can be. That’s why magic schools and tutors are mandated to teach supes control. But you have us to help you. You have me.”
His offer to help would mean more if he hadn’t betrayed my trust. “I remember you tried to steal my body to use that power.”
“Not my finest hour.” Osen sighs. “I promise I won’t make that mistake again. I’m feeling more like my old self. More complete. More in control over my reactions.”
“Why would that be?”
“Maybe your mating bond fed my incubus magic. Or it could be our connection. Your unleashed magic is healing me and strengthening my soul.”
“I’m happy you’re feeling better,” I say and mean it.
“I won’t go rogue again. I realize how my stupid, impulsive decisions have hurt my pack, most significantly Calder and you.”
Entering our empty cabin, I shuffle to the enormous bed and flop down. My mind wanders over all the things I should be doing now for my author career. I have promotions to run. Books to write and edit.
“Do you think I can set up my computer stuff and check my accounts?” I ask Osen.
“I think there might be too much interference with Amira’s cloaking magic. Besides, it’s probably best to ask Maxum to portal you somewhere else far from here, just in case Rob can track you somehow.”
Not being a computer expert, I don’t know how likely that is. But I’ve seen spy movies that suggest if Rob has someone skilled in hacking, they might be able to ping my location. “You’re right,” I say with defeat in my heart. Things may never be normal for me again.
“Rest now, Jade. We can get all that figured out when you wake up.”
As I close my eyes and drift off, Osen’s presence shifts from just a disembodied voice in my head to a fully formed male in my dreams. He’s standing in front of me in what he calls the shadowscape—where an incubus’ magic resides.
He hasn’t bothered to render imagery of the surrounding setting. We stare at each other amidst the darkness. There’s only enough light to see each other. I study his handsome face since it’s the first time he’s appeared in a highly detailed human form. Before, I’ve only seen him as a shadow person, each time with increasing detail.
He’s also completely naked and my eyes dip down to appreciate his toned and well-equipped body. But it’s his intense gray eyes that draw my attention. His shoulder-length, wavy brown hair frames his masculine face in a casual, yet stylish, way.
Seeing him how he was in life assures me that Osen never had an issue feeding his magic with sexual partners.
He’s fucking gorgeous.
Even his dead body was beautiful, since it hadn’t decayed at all. The only thing that took away from his allure was the obvious lack of life in his body as it rested in a glass coffin.
Too bad that true love’s kiss couldn’t wake his sleeping beauty.
But then part of me wonders if anyone tried. Calder probably didn’t attempt that with his aversion to touch.
“Your mind is somewhere else.” Osen smirks. “I thought seeing me naked like this would at least amuse you.”
“My mind has more than one track,” I tease. “Horny isn’t the only setting I have.”
It’s strange that he can’t just read everything going on inside my mind. But I’m grateful for that now. My chaotic, wandering author's mind would likely baffle him.
“We need to ask Maxum about your body—why it looks so well preserved,” I say with a frown of concentration. This has been low-key bugging me since the bunker when I saw his body in person.
“Yes, I hope now that things have settled, we can unravel that mystery,” Osen agrees, then opens his arms.
I don’t fall into his embrace even though his gorgeous naked form is acting like a magnet to my nether regions. “What if I’m a lust witch? You heard that, right? Isn’t that what you thought I was when we first talked?”
“I was worried that you were seducing my pack, yes.”
My heart squeezes with fear. “What if it’s not really me?—”
“Shush.” Osen’s face becomes fierce. He steps closer and places a thumb on my lips. “If you even have that ability, it isn’t why they like you. I should know. You aren’t the only one who has dealt with this bullshit.”
That thought shuts me up. He’s an incubus. I imagine that’s a far more powerful influence over others than a lust witch.
I move my trapped lips to talk. He slowly drags his thumb away as he stares at my mouth with interest.
I resist the urge to bite my lip and force myself to remain focused. “In your life, you’ve worried about whether your intimate partners actually cared for you, too.”
“Constantly.” His jaw flutters with the emotions raging inside him. “ Always .”
“How did you deal with it?” I ask.
“I didn’t. It’s only now I realize that Calder really cared for me.”
“ Cares ,” I remind him firmly. “He loves you.”
“I didn’t trust it when I was alive. Not completely.”
“Do you want to talk to him again?” I offer.
“I might take you up on that soon, but that’s not what I want at the moment.” He opens his arms again, inviting me into his embrace.
I hesitate, since I’m not sure how to proceed with this enigma. Osen is wrapped up inside me in a way no one else has ever been. If we pursue something deeper, the chances of it ending horribly are an enormous risk. The consequences could be devastating if he were to take over my body again in spite or in a rage over a fight we had. I hate to say I’ve been a victim of that too many times to not consider it a real possibility.
He can deliver an incredible sexual experience, but I’m not ready to engage with him that way again. Not yet.
“What are you expecting from me?” I ask.
“In general or right now?” He smirks and part of me wants to kiss that damned look off his pretty face.
“Now.”
“I wish to do something I never tried before.” He shrugs, but I sense it’s a bigger deal than he’s playing it up as.
“What’s that?”
“Cuddles.” He lowers his smoky gray eyes and drops his arms. “With your power released, I sense you’re able to resist my incubus paralysis. So you would be the first person I could really do that with.”
“You mean you freeze everyone else up when you’re intimate? Even with snuggles?” I ask. I’m still shocked this is a default thing for the incubus.
“Well, I’ve only known high-born demons to resist my power. Maxum can. Until you came along, he wasn’t a cuddler. And yeah, my incubus power feeds on emotion. My mother was a succubus and didn’t care for children.” Osen glances up to see my reaction. “It feels nice when the guys hold you. I wanted to try.”
My heart turns to mush.
“Dammit. I’m too soft for my own good.” I curse and pull him into a hug.
The next thing I know, I’m on a bed with him. He curls into me, placing his head on my chest. His muscular arms wrap around my waist.
I stroke my fingers through his long silky locks, and he hums with contentment.
“Goddess, this feels good.” He murmurs over the swell of my breast. “I wish I could have done this when I was alive.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get this experience.” I kiss the top of his head. “Just ask if you want to do it again.”
“Every night?” he practically begs. “We can meet when you fall asleep and hold each other and talk.”
“I’d like that.”
Eventually, I fall into a deeper sleep and dream of my guys holding me… even Calder.