Chapter 17
Julian
I must’ve changed my outfit at least half a dozen times before settling on a midnight blue suit with a silver and pink tie that matched Lily’s hair. There was no reason for me to be this excited about dinner.
Would you believe I’d never actually asked anyone out on a date since opening Delerium?
I felt like a young squire polishing his armor to escort the lady of his heart to the midsummer festival.
Which was ridiculous, considering I was a centuries-old incubus who’d been around the block more times than I cared to count.
I arrived at her apartment almost half an hour early. I was going to wait in the car like a normal person and give her time to get ready, but something in my gut told me to knock on her door. I tried to ignore it, lasted five minutes, then gave in and headed up the steps.
The second I reached her front door, I knew something was wrong.
The smell of magic here was sour and acrid, too much sulfur. I rang the doorbell first, and when she didn’t answer, I tried knocking. Still nothing.
“Lily?” I called out. “Lily?”
I was about to break down her door—I hesitated only because it was brand-new and I doubted her landlord would spring for another one—when my phone buzzed. It was Lily.
“The call went through!” she exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. “Is that really you outside, Julian?”
“Yes. I’m right outside your door. What’s wrong?”
“Knock four times,” she whispered.
Frowning, I did.
She let out a breath. “It is you. I still can’t open the door in case this is a trick. But I’ll have my wards let you, Julian incubus, and only you in. Phase through the walls, so I know it’s not something else pretending to be you.”
She was going through a lot to confirm my identity. What the hell had happened?
“Okay, I’ll do that. But I need to put my phone and wallet through the mail slot first. Can’t phase with them on me.”
“You’ve got thirty seconds.”
I stuffed my belongings through the mail slot, then popped through the wall into her apartment. Her magic didn’t stop me.
I found her wrapped in a blanket in front of her computer, lit only by the glow of her screens. There was a small black cat in her arms that hissed when it saw me. That must be Shadow.
Lily’s eyes were wide, and she was holding… a hatchet?... in one hand. She looked equal parts exhausted and terrified.
“What happened?” I scanned the room for danger. Something smelled burnt, but everything was in place, unlike the last time I’d been here after the break-in.
“They’ve been trying to get in for an hour. At least. I tried to call for help, but it’s like my apartment was wrapped in magic. My phone wouldn’t work.” She showed the outgoing calls she’d made in the last hour. She’d called me at least three times, and her friends many more.
“Who are they?” I stepped too close, and the cat swiped at me.
“It’s okay, Shadow. Julian’s safe.”
The cat seemed to understand her. It calmed down, but still kept an eye on me.
“I don’t know who or what they were.” Carefully, she placed the hatchet on the desk and pulled up a video from one of the cameras she’d installed. Three shadowy figures stood outside her door in the hallway.
I recognized offensive wizardry magic when I saw it.
“They weren’t just at the door,” she said. “They were outside my window. My balcony. They kept whispering, trying to get me to come out or open the door.”
That explained why every blind and curtain was closed and the apartment was in darkness aside from her screens. I threw open the nearest curtain, letting in the early evening light of Darlington. Lily relaxed.
“I guess they left now that you’re here.”
She reached for me, tentatively at first, like she was afraid I’d morph into one of those shadow creatures. When I didn’t, she threw herself into my arms, burying her face in my chest.
I held her close, furious that I’d spent time choosing an outfit and worrying I was too early when I could’ve been here rescuing her.
She sniffled, then let out a small sob. “They pretended to be my friends. They mimicked Gigi and Penny’s voices perfectly. I don’t know how they knew.” She straightened. “What if it’s because they helped contain The Breach? I have to warn them. What if they’re next?”
“Give me your phone,” I said, holding out my hand. “I’ll message them. You pack. You’re not staying here. You’re coming with me until this is over.”
I braced for resistance, but she just nodded and handed me her phone, already open to her group chat. Whatever had happened in the last hour had shaken her to the core.
Shadow meowed from her perch on Lily’s desk.
“You’re welcome to stay with me too, Shadow.”
The cat tilted her head like she was considering my offer.
“This is actually the first time she’s asked to come in.
Well, ask doesn’t quite cover it. She was clawing at the door like her life depended on it.
Like they were chasing her. I’m not sure she’ll want to stay inside or go back out.
” Lily walked halfway to the balcony door, then froze.
“Actually, on second thought, can you open it?”
She hid behind me as I opened the door. When no phantom creatures came at her, she motioned for Shadow to step outside. But the cat looked at her with a “Are you crazy, bitch?” look, then curled up on her couch.
“I think she wants to be an indoor cat for a while,” I said.
“Yeah. At least until the memory of being chased by phantoms dissipates,” Lily agreed. “I’ll have to get a litter box for her.”
“There’s a pet store close to my place.”
Lily rubbed the back of her neck. “She’s not litter trained yet. She might have some accidents.”
“That’s alright. She’s a smart kitty. She’ll figure it out. Won’t you?”
Shadow answered by sticking her leg up and licking her crotch.
Only now did I really look around her apartment. Foil lined the table and stove, charred remnants of her spell work scattered across them. Her magic had misfired again while she was protecting her home. The foil meant she’d known it might and had put it down to protect her furniture.
That explained the hatchet she’d been clutching when I arrived. She must’ve been terrified, unable to call for help or rely on her magic, and thought she’d need to protect herself physically.
Had her magic been on the fritz since this weekend? Why hadn’t she told me?
I brushed her hair back from her face, wishing I could chase away the fear I still saw in her pretty gray eyes. “Are you still up for dinner, or would you rather head to my place? It’s safe there. We can order in. I can cancel the reservation; it’s not too late.”
She hesitated, eyes flicking toward the window like she expected those shadow things to come back. Her fingers tightened around my forearm.
I tried to lighten the mood. “You could still dress up. Wear those sexy shoes.”
I’d left the pair of heels on her table on the way in. I was about to grab them for her when I decided to poke my head into her bedroom to check her shoe collection. The sexy heels were all lined up on the wall again. My eyes landed on a shiny black patent leather pair near the top.
“On second thought. You should wear those!”
I switched the pairs, placing the ones I’d fixed on the shelf and bringing her the shiny ones.
She gave a soft laugh, relaxing just a little. “Those are sexy as hell. But I can’t actually walk in them. I’ll bring an extra pair of flats just in case. And I think it’s better if we just head to your place. That kind of ruined my appetite.”
“Then we’ll try the restaurant another time,” I said, already reaching for her overnight bag. “Trust me. Walking won’t be what you’d be doing in those, Vixen.”
She snorted, cheeks flushing pink. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I prefer enthusiastic,” I said, pressing Send on the note I’d quickly tapped out to her friends about what had happened. “And if you wore those heels, I’d be morally obligated to carry you everywhere. Over the threshold, onto the couch, into my bed…”
Her lips twitched. “You have this very well planned, I see?”
“Extremely.”
She laughed again, and I caught the flicker of heat in her eyes. Good. That spark meant she was still in there, even after the hell she’d just been through.
We packed up her things quickly. Essentials, a few spell components, and enough clothes to last a few days, including a slinky black dress she promised to wear for me, and an extra change of shoes.
She paused at the door, looking back at her apartment like she wasn’t sure it would still be standing when she returned.
“I want to put an extra seal on the door,” she said, “so I’ll know if anyone touches it. But my magic’s been off, and I’m worried it will backfire again.”
I stepped in close, pulling her against me. “What if I help you?” I nuzzled the side of her face. “If you can use me to recharge, then you can use me to stabilize.”
“You know, that might actually work.” She closed her eyes and leaned into me. “Honestly, this already feels better.”
“Good,” I murmured, nipping the shell of her ear. Her magic and her body responded instantly, spiking with lust.
My hands roamed her body, cupping her breasts possessively, before skimming over her curves to squeeze her perfectly rounded bottom. I nibbled a fiery path down her neck.
And with me touching her, loving her, and worshiping her, she sealed her home with no misfires. I insisted on carrying her down the stairs to avoid dirtying the nearly pristine soles on those dead-sexy shoes.
Lily tucked into the passenger seat with Shadow curled on her lap. I kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting lightly on her knee. Just enough to remind her I was right here, and as long as I was around, nothing would hurt. She was mine to protect.
“You know,” I said, glancing over, “you can stay over as long as you like. All you have to do is wear those heels.”
She gave me a sideways look. “You’re just trying to distract me from what happened.”
“True,” I said, flexing my biceps enough to catch her eye. “But also because you’re fucking hot and you drive me mad.”
She didn’t respond right away, but her shoulders, which had been up around her ears, relaxed. I slid my hand a little higher, resting it on her thigh, my thumb tracing slow circles.
“I’m still a little freaked out,” she admitted. “But being with you helps.”
At a red light I reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger along her jaw.
“Good. Because you’re safe with me. I plan to keep you close until you forget what fear feels like, and if that doesn’t work, I’m going to fuck the fear right out of you.
It’s hard to be scared if you’re screaming my name. ”
She turned her face toward my hand, brushing her cheek against my palm. I let my thumb graze her lower lip, and the little minx caught it with her teeth.
“You might just have to,” she whispered.
The angry blare of a horn behind us snapped me back to the present. The light had changed, and I should’ve been paying attention.
The rest of the drive home felt like an eternity as I drowned in her presence, caught between the lingering scent of her fear and the lust building between us.
As soon as we rolled into the garage, I stepped out and circled around to open her door. The moment she got out, I scooped her and Shadow up and ascended the steps.
At the top of the stairs, I told Lily the code to my door, and we stepped into my apartment. Once we were inside, Shadow hopped out of her arms and left to explore the new environment. She wasn’t attacking me anymore, so that was good, though she’d glared at me all the way up those stairs.
I carried her straight to my bedroom, kicked the door open with my foot, and deposited her into my bed.
She looked up at me, eyes wide and tired. The bags under them told me everything. She was exhausted and frayed at the edges. Her fear still clung to her, and I hated it. Nothing should ever make her feel that way. And I knew exactly how to fix it.
“You’re safe now,” I growled. “No one can touch you here but me. I’ll take care of you, Lily. I’ll make you forget everything but me. Let me take it all away. Let me show you what it feels like to be worshipped.”
“I’d like that.”