By the Enchantment of Moonlight (The Forbidden Realm #2.5) (12 page)

Dex moved away from them, escaping the seductive pull of her pulsating energy. He decided to ignore the lusty figures for a moment and focus on the boat itself. The identifying marks on it would be important information for Miranda when she returned. She'd want to track down this man and find out what sort of scheme the young succubus had involved him in.

Dex drifted around the perimeter of the boat, studying it and memorizing its features, but suddenly he was stopped. Some invisible barrier prevented him from moving; his molecules were compressed as if he'd run up against a wall. What was this? He could see nothing, but there was a definite barrier. He could feel ancient magic trembling in the air around him, too.

Well, barriers and walls were never much of a problem for him. Releasing his hold over his mass, he let his energy dissolve into the ocean spray around him. He became little more than vapor. Yes, this allowed him to move freely through the unseen barrier. Whatever sort of magic this was, it wasn't entirely solid. He permeated the screen that had blocked him at first and immediately he found himself hovering above another boat.

By the Skies! There was a second boat here in this cove, nearly right up against the first one. This second vessel radiated all sorts of magic. Someone had placed a shield of protection around it, but they hadn't counted on a wraith literally bumping into them. With luck, that could mean they wouldn't sense him moving around on their boat, either.

If there was anyone here to sense anything. He could feel remnants of fairy magic, of whatever ancient energy was used to create the shield, and he was pretty sure he felt mermaid magic, too. But he didn't find any of these magical creatures on board.

He drifted inside the cabin of the boat. This was much more than just the little puddle-jumper that the succubus was using to seduce her human. This boat was large, and obviously fit for traveling the open waters. It was every bit as luxurious as the other yachts that visited the island, but Dex was sure he'd never seen it before.

He pushed the door to the bedroom open and found the only living thing on the boat. A man was lying there, a human man. Or rather, what was left of a human man.

Oh, his body appeared to be fine. Dex scanned him for injury and found none. It appeared he was in nearly perfect health, in his body, at least. The man's mind was another story.

Dex found the man's mind broken and empty. He felt Dark Magic there and knew immediately what had happened. He'd seen Miranda do this on more than one occasion.

This man had been splintered. His mind had been broken into pieces and sucked out of him. Usually this was done so that it could be replaced into another body, but Miranda had practiced the skill a few times and simply discarded the pieces. She'd let Dex inhabit the leftover bodies for a while, until the strain of splintering had rendered them useless.

He didn't know what Miranda had done with the soulless bodies after that. Once he was non-corporeal again, it was just too damn difficult to care about anything. He wondered who had splintered this man. It was a very Dark enterprise and not at all approved for common practice in the Forbidden Realm.

Sounds from the other nearby boat caught Dex's attention. He drifted back up topside to see what was going on with the young succubus and her prey. His view was uninhibited—he could see through the magical protective shield just fine from this side. It was simply those on the outside who were prevented from looking in. The succubus would have no idea at all that this boat was here, unless she was the one who had hidden it.

She didn't seem the least bit concerned about magically hidden boats right now, though. She was running her hands over the captain's arms as he reached to pull her tight up against him. Dex drifted closer to them, wishing he could feel what this man must be feeling right now. The magic wafting off of the succubus filled the open spaces between Dex's molecules and he knew a physical union with this creature would be more than just memorable. He tried to recall the times he had engaged in carnal activities…Those partners had all been forgettable, though. The minute he was out of a flesh-and-bone body, he forgot any hint of passion or lust that he'd ever felt.

Watching this succubus explore her man's body, however, made Dex remember just the slightest bit. If he had the chance to ever be with this alluring creature, he would relish it.

“You must work very hard,” she cooed to her partner. “Your arms are like iron.”

The man didn't reply. He was too busy running his hands over her body, touching her gently in places that were usually reserved for private. She reacted the way a succubus always reacted, as if she wanted more of his touch, more of his love. Men never recognized that they were merely being used.

“Can you feel how much I want you?” the man growled, nuzzling his grizzled face into her silky hair.

“Oh yes…you feel…” The succubus paused.

Suddenly her demeanor changed and she tried to push him away. Dex was confused. What game was this? Since when did a succubus ever pretend to fight her intended victim?

“I'm doing it again! No, I'm so sorry. I can't do this to you,” she cried out.

D
ex was startled by her sudden reaction. The man, however, was too deeply captivated in her seduction to be distracted. He merely held her tighter, rubbed his larger body against hers and clearly intended to satisfy the burning lust she had created in him. She struggled against him, prying at his arms.

“You don't want this,” she said, but his fervent kisses made her words hard to understand. “You'll regret it afterward and you'll hate yourself.”

He was mumbling about the soft nature of her skin and the heat of her thighs as he continued to react to his desire. Clearly she was becoming troubled as she fought to free herself from him. Dex had never seen such behavior and for a moment he just watched in confusion. Had he been wrong? Maybe she wasn't a succubus.

But he couldn't be wrong. He sensed her magic clearly, and the passion she'd evoked in the human had only made it stronger. There was no doubt she was a succubus. There was also no doubt that she was distressed. She struggled to push the man away, to distract him from desire, but his amorous intent became more and more obvious. He was not going to stop no matter how many times she said no.

Dex was already fading back through the magical shield to rush to her side and save her before he remembered he couldn't do that. He couldn't do anything. A wraith barely had existence; he certainly had no limbs to help her fend off the groping man, he had no voice to call out for assistance, and he had no physical being to even hold her and comfort her after the inevitable. Without a body, Dex could do nothing more than hover nearby and watch as the young woman begged the man to cease his assault.

Then Dex recalled that he
did
have a body. He could borrow the one in the cabin of the mysterious vessel! He swooped down there immediately and poured himself into the man.

With no soul and no will to hinder him, Dex took full possession of the man's shell almost instantly. He was suddenly aware of sights and sounds, textures and smells. He felt his ions surging through arteries and veins, pumping into muscle and sinew. Sensations of all sorts sizzled through him and he embraced them. The body was his now; he owned it completely.

He couldn't move as quickly as he was used to, of course. A few moments of awkward stumbling prevented him from leaving the cabin. The body was stiff and unfamiliar and took some getting used to. Soon enough, though, he had his bearings. This body would do what he asked of it. Right now he needed to get it onto that other boat.

This task would prove easier than expected. As he came out onto the deck it was obvious the succubus was struggling almost violently with the lust-blinded man. They had moved from the railing at the front of the boat and now the man had the succubus backed up against the console where all the controls were. Something had gotten shifted and the boat was lurching forward, directly toward the vessel that Dex was on.

Splashing and grinding, the two boats collided. Dex had been ready and braced himself. The couple on the other craft had not. They toppled over, the man falling on top of the succubus. Instead of being distracted, though, his desire raged out of control now that he felt her lithe body beneath his.

Dex leaped across the narrow gap between boats. The protective barrier was no hindrance from this direction, although when he glanced behind him as he landed on the smaller boat's deck, he could not see through it again. Whoever had placed that shield had done an excellent job. It was holding fast. Apparently this body he'd taken was not meant to be found any time soon, hidden securely on that boat and anchored in the usually deserted mouth of the cove.

Dex clambered over the rolling deck, the boat still reeling after its slow-speed collision. His first task was to right the controls, yanking at the throttle and killing the engines. Then he dove for the writhing couple and grabbed the man by the neck, peeling him off the succubus and tossing him to the side.

The man was momentarily stunned and Dex used that moment to help the succubus up to her feet and steady her as they put some distance between her and the man. Dex could feel his own body react to her immediately. Ah, so
this
was desire. He remembered it now. He liked it.

But he had to ignore it. The man was scrambling to his feet, ready to dive at them and take what he wanted. Animal fury and lust were evident in his expression. The succubus was his goal, and this body Dex used was just an obstacle to be thrown out of the way.

There was only one way to quench the fire that raged inside this man.

“Look him in the eye and tell him he is done,” Dex ordered the succubus.

She was blinking in shock, not quite sure what was happening. He shook her slightly to get her attention and repeated himself.

“Tell him he is done!”

She shook her head. “But he was going to…I didn't mean to…”

“His eyes,” Dex went on as the man poised to lunge at them. “Look into his eyes and tell him what to do.”

“He won't listen to me!” she protested.

“He will. Do it.”

The man was lost to reason. The body Dex had been in was strong and healthy, but it had been incapacitated for some time. What condition was it in to battle a rutting human? And certainly Dex hadn't been in a good fight in years. If the succubus didn't put an end to this soon, things were going to get ugly.

Finally she seemed to come to her senses and did what needed to be done. She took a deep breath and gazed into the man's wild eyes.

“Enough,” she said, breathless. “We're done now. You were awesome.”

The man paused. His eyes were captured by hers and finally she was in control of him once again. His tense body slowly relaxed and he seemed to await her next command.

She watched him warily, but kept her voice calm. “You did great, but we're done.”

He frowned with confusion. “Done? But I…Hey, who's he?”

She didn't seem to know how to answer. He could feel her nervousness and for a moment he worried that she would lose her hold over the man. Dex had never encountered a succubus like this before—they always knew exactly what to say. Something was very different about this one.

“Tell him I'm your brother,” he whispered into her ear. “I'm here to take you home.”

She nodded and continued gazing into the man's eyes. “He's my brother. It's time for me to go home now.”

“I'll go with you,” the captain suggested.

Her nervousness seemed slightly abated and she shook her head. “No. I'm going with him, and you need to go to your home. To your wife.”

The lusty fog over the man's mind must have been slowly lifting. He wrinkled his brow and seemed to consider this. “My wife? Yeah…I have a wife.”

“And you care for her very much, don't you?” the succubus said.

Dex decided this was probably the first time he'd ever heard a succubus direct a man to another woman. Who was this dark-haired beauty and what sort of game was she playing?

The man nodded, appearing numb and still only half coherent. The succubus also seemed at a loss. She took her eyes off the man and glanced up at Dex.

“What now?” she questioned.

“Come with me,” Dex whispered to her. “Tell your man he's done his duty and he doesn't need to think about you anymore.”

“But he brought me out here and…Where did you come from?” she asked him, glancing around and obviously not seeing the other boat.

With her attention focused on Dex the man was becoming less and less under her sway. He shook his head and mumbled under his breath. It was clear his sexual drive was still highly engaged. If this succubus didn't take control over him again he'd be right back where he was, driven by instinct and making things difficult.

“Tell him to go home to his wife and forget all about you,” Dex directed her.

She sighed, as if she somehow doubted he'd listen, but she did as he instructed. The man's focus was captured easily as she dutifully met his eyes and encouraged him sweetly to go home. He was helpless under her sway and blithely nodded in agreement.

“You've done your job today,” the woman continued, giving the man a smile it was impossible to ignore. “You can forget all about me.”

Dex tried to imagine Miranda behaving this way, using her power to gently guide rather than manipulate and control. He finally gave up. Miranda would never relinquish her prey and just send him home. Miranda reveled in her power over men. Even beyond what she could take from them sexually, she enjoyed owning their will.

This younger succubus was a new sort of creature, indeed. She only now began to relax as it was clear the man was no longer under her command. He gazed sightlessly through her, his expression going blank as the woman's orders took over his mind. He was forgetting her already, even as she stood right before him.

That, Dex had to admit, showed a level of power over the man's mind even he had never seen before. This woman's control went above and beyond her sexual appeal. This succubus was definitely something out of the ordinary.

“You'd better go now,” she whispered to Dex as the human male turned to the controls for his boat. “Swim back to the island, or wherever you came from. I think everything is calmed down here again.”

“You should come with me,” Dex said.

Her gaze shifted out toward Isla Escalda. “I guess I could swim that far.”

“You won't need to swim,” Dex assured her. “I have a boat.”

She eyed him dubiously. The boat he had come from was still perfectly invisible, hidden by the magical protection over it. He just couldn't let her float away with this human, though. Despite her amazing powers, he wasn't convinced she could really handle herself if things got out of control again. Plus, he needed to know more. Who was she and why was she here?

“I'll show you,” he said, wondering exactly how he was going to do that.

A rope was lying coiled up on the deck so he grabbed it and tossed one end overboard. It hit the invisible shield and fell uselessly into the water. The succubus made an audible gasp of confusion, but he gathered up the rope and tried again. He knew the shield was permeable, and he was hoping that when he'd leaped through in this physical body he'd left a temporary gap in it. He tossed the rope again.

This time he got lucky. It passed through the shield and landed on the deck of the other boat with a thud. From this side all they could see, though, was a rope stretching out over the water and disappearing.

“What the…?” the succubus said.

“Come on, before your friend comes fully back to his senses and the gap in the shield over the other boat fills itself in,” Dex said, unhooking the chain that served as a gate across an opening in the railing on their boat.

He grabbed the succubus by her elbow and jumped, using the rope as his guide. She was forced to follow, tumbling over the railing on the invisible boat and landing in a heap on the polished wood deck. Dex tossed the rope back. It had served its purpose, but he didn't need anything to give away their position now.

The succubus's shocked scream did more than enough of that.

“Where the hell did this boat come from?” she cried out.

“I told you it was close,” he replied.

“Yeah, but…how come I didn't see it?”

“Keep your voice down!”

She glared angrily at him, but complied, rephrasing her question in a whisper. “How did this boat just appear out of thin air?”

“It's been here all along. It's got some sort of shield on it.”

She glanced over it, clearly not convinced. “You've got a stealth yacht?”

“You can thank me later,” he replied. “Your friend seems to be doing what you told him to and heading out of here.”

It was true. The man was scratching his head and seemed to be trying to remember what he was doing. Following the orders she'd given him, he adjusted the controls and throttled the engine. Sure enough, his boat started drifting away as he guided it back out toward open water. It turned away from the cove and began to pick up speed, bouncing over waves as it left them behind.

Now was the time for Dex to get some answers.

“So why did you get him all lathered up for you and then brush him off like that?”

The succubus seemed embarrassed by the question. “I don't know. I didn't mean to.”

“Of course you did. I saw you, unbuttoning your shirt and teasing the man. You had him easy. So why not follow through?”

“So you were just sitting here on your secret boat spying on me?”

“No, actually I was floating in the air over your boat spying on you,” Dex replied. “I didn't even know about this boat until a few minutes ago. That's when I found this body. Someone left it here.”

She was staring at him like he was insane. It made him hot, even though he was pretty sure that wasn't her intent.

“You found a
body
on this boat?” she asked.

“Yeah, this one.”

Her gaze darted around and she shuddered. “Which one?”

“
This
one, the one I'm in,” he said, then realized he needed to explain. “I'm not usually corporeal like this. I'm a wraith, but I found this body on this boat so I borrowed it to help you.”

She took two steps back until she was pressed against the railing. For a moment Dex was afraid she would go overboard when she turned to stare down into the water. Was he going to have to jump off this boat and save her again? Hopefully this body could swim.

But she didn't jump. Instead, she pointed. “What's that? Is there someone swimming under your boat?”

Dex went to her side and peered over. Sure enough, someone was swimming down there. Apparently he really had discerned some interesting types of magic on this boat.

“That's a mermaid,” he informed her, even as the pale body and beautiful face of a young mermaid popped up through the water to peer at them.