Incubus (46 page)

in air-quotes with a sardonic smile before continuing, “with Lucas. Believe it or not, I really am fond

of you.”

I felt a blush spreading across my cheeks, but I was conscious of Lucas and Cassie behind me,

trying to escape. The one thing I could give them now was time. I glared at Seth. “It was all an act.”

“I know,” Seth sighed wistfully. “Too bad they don’t give Oscars for passing as human. Although,

I did get the vessel, so in the greater scheme of things, I still win.”

“So, that’s why you wormed your way into the Guard?”

“Uh, yeah.” Seth gave me a pointed look. “You thought I was hanging around for the food?”

“Then... the Thrall? Getting Angela Linwood killed? That was you, too?”

“Dig a little deeper, Braedyn.” Seth crossed his arms, smirking. “I’ve been playing this game on

multiple fronts. The Thrall, Linwood, those were the obvious moves.”

My mind churned sluggishly. “Mr. Hart?”

Seth inclined his head with a slight smile. “You suspected him early on. I just gave you a little

shove here and there. The key was keeping you out of his dream. Admit it, once you tried to get into

his dream you freaked out a little bit, didn’t you?”

“You shielded his mind?” I didn’t have to feign my curiosity.

“Useful trick, that,” Seth said. “I also shielded Amber’s mind, but you never went after her, not

even after all those threats about what you
could
do to her.”

“Amber?” Something shifted in my mind. I cast my thoughts back, suddenly numb. “What does

she have to do with—?”

“Oh, come on,” Seth chuckled. “You didn’t really think she was
that
evil did you? I mean, the

girl’s got her moments, sure. But trying to get Lucas killed? I thought I might be tipping my hand

there, but you bought it.” He shook his head.

My palm throbbed in protest and I glanced down, unaware until that moment that I’d balled my

hands into fists. I raised my eyes back to Seth, seething with white-hot rage.

“You’re angry with me.” Seth gave me a look of pity. “It’s a bit misdirected, though. You really

only have yourself to blame.”

“How do you figure?” I managed, my voice thick with outrage.

“Well, manipulation is one of my strong suits, but you did make it easy for me.” Seth spread his

hands wide. “The key is to identify what it is someone finds desirable. You,” he pointed his finger at

me with a knowing smile. “You like the wounded boys.” He glanced pointedly at Lucas for emphasis.

“So I faked up a sad history, topped it off with the
tragic
death of a fake mom, and
voila.
Putty in my

hands.”

I shook my head as a thousand new questions flooded my thoughts. Before I could put one of them

into words, Seth said something that stopped me cold.

“Royal—now he was a bit more fun.” Seth rubbed his hands together with pride. “Royal likes his

boys witty.” I stared at Seth, horrified, but he went on. “Convincing him to hold his tongue? Not as

easy as you’d think. He was so eager to tell his besties all about our magical tryst.”

“Royal is your friend,” I said, reeling.

“No,” Seth said, as though explaining something to a child. “Royal is human. That makes him my

enemy.”

“But he’s not,” I protested. “He’s not in the Guard, he’s no threat to you. Why? Why hurt him?”

Seth sighed. “It was supposed to keep you occupied until moonrise. I’ll admit, it was a desperate

move.” He shrugged. “But I hadn’t counted on you figuring out the ritual would open the seal—or that

it could be stopped. Too smart for your own good, by the way.” Seth wagged his finger at me in mock

admonishment. “Once you knew the truth, I needed to give you something else to think about. Though,

I have to say I’m surprised. I thought you’d try a teensy bit harder to find him.” Seth gave me a sour

smile. “Guess I overestimated how much he means to you.”

I hurled myself at Seth.

He moved with stunning speed, dodging my attack and clubbing his forearm down against my leg.

Pain exploded across my thigh. I staggered to the floor, unable to draw breath for a moment. Across

the sanctuary, I saw Lucas and Cassie struggling with the beam laid across the mission’s main doors.

Even under their combined effort, it wasn’t budging.

“Do yourself a favor,” Seth said. “Stay down.”

An overwhelming despair cut through me, hollowing out my middle and leaving me cold.
I need

help,
I thought. The Guard wasn’t going to make it in time.
Karayan,
I willed the message to reach

her.
Karayan, please, help me.

“Hello.” Seth snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Are you still with us?”

“Huh?” I breathed. The connection I’d tried to forge with Karayan snapped.

“Eloquent little thing,” Illydia sniffed.

“Patience,” Seth said, giving his sister a patient smile. He turned back to me. “As I was saying, I

have a proposition for you.”

“Let me guess. You want me to join forces with you?” I asked, conscious of every moment I could

buy for Cassie and Lucas.

“I’d settle for you agreeing to sit this battle out,” Seth answered.

“And if I do—you’ll just let me go?”

“Seems very generous,” Illydia said. “Perhaps you should require a show of good faith first,

brother.”

Seth looked at me shrewdly. “Not a bad idea.” He glanced at Illydia. “Any suggestions?”

Without taking her eyes off of me, she raised one graceful hand to point straight at Lucas. “Kill

that one. Then you are free to go.”

I stared at Seth incredulous. “Seth?”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Hm. I kind of like this idea.” Seth turned his eyes toward

Lucas and Cassie, still struggling uselessly against the massive mission doors. “Look, they’re dead

one way or the other.”

Cold terror spilled down my spine. I scrambled away from Seth, meaning to sprint to Lucas and

Cassie. Maybe if we could get the doors open they could run.

I made it two steps before Seth caught me in a headlock. He leaned slightly forward, compressing

my throat against his forearm, cutting off my breath. I clawed at his skin.

“Take a moment to consider your options,” he said. “I don’t mind waiting.”

He eased back, and sweet air flooded into my lungs. I took a deep breath, then shifted my weight,

meaning to leverage him off his feet. Seth sensed my intentions. I felt his body tense as he drove his

fist into my lower back.

I cried out as fiery pain lanced through my core.

Lucas turned at the sound, eyes clouding with rage. He started toward us, but Cassie grabbed his

hand, stopping him. Lucas shrugged her off.

“Kidney,” Seth said grimly. “Hurts, doesn’t it?”

I choked back a sob, my mind grasping for a way out. Lucas was barreling toward us. If I didn’t act

soon, he’d be Seth’s next target and no one would be left to get Cassie to safety.

Seth still had me in a tight grip. I let my body go limp, my knees buckling. As I started to fall,

Seth released me. He must have bought the feint, because he wasn’t prepared when I kicked my good

leg up with all my might.

My foot caught him squarely in the chest and I heard a satisfying snap as one of his ribs cracked.

Seth hissed, stumbling back as a wave of pain crashed into him. I rolled to my feet, ready to press my

advantage.

“Get Cassie out of here!” I shouted to Lucas. He skidded to a stop, eyes narrowing. I needed him to

take care of her. “Please,” I said, pouring all my desperation into the word. Lucas clenched his jaw,

but he nodded. A rush of relief flooded through me when he turned away.

I’d forgotten Illydia.

She snaked her fingers into my hair and wrenched me back. I fell, sprawling onto the floor. She

dropped on top of me, hands latching around my throat. Unlike Seth, Illydia had no interest in

conversation—no interest in me. She squeezed. In seconds black spots were crushing out my field of

vision. I scrabbled uselessly against her grip; I couldn’t pry her fingers from around my throat.

I reached up, a last ditch effort. One of my hands caught a fistful of her long blond hair. I jerked

her closer, felt her grip loosen in surprise. I clapped my free hand against her forehead.

Images and thoughts rushed into my mind.
Illydia and Seth, passing for wealthy land owners,

traveling across the New World chasing rumors of a recently discovered seal. They’d carted their

prize across two continents looking for a door to the other plane, keeping the vessel carefully hidden

for close to 100 years, biding their time. Then, victory so close they could taste it, they began the

ritual. But the monks guarding the seal laid a trap for them—and Illydia fell into their clutches. With

the seal half-opened, they’d cast Illydia out of the world of men and into darkness, then worked to

reverse the ritual before the seal was rendered impotent.

I shivered as the images of that other plane filled my mind.
No sun fell in their world. It was a

place of envy, hatred, pain. Illydia had raged against the darkness for centuries. Her banishment

seemed permanent—until she and Seth had found one another again through the dream, and he’d come

to her with a plan.

Illydia’s hands released me and I scrabbled away from her.

I risked a look back at the main sanctuary door. Lucas was using a large candlestick holder as a

lever, trying to pry the wooden crossbeam out of its seat. Cassie was huddled against the wall, staring

at me with numb horror. I felt a wave of concern for her.

Illydia was studying me, her face registering shock. Seth, recovering, noticed this with a dry

chuckle.

“I told you,” Seth wheezed. “She’s stronger than she looks.”

I rubbed a hand against my throat. It hurt to swallow. With some effort, I stood, facing them down.

“I’d like to give you one more chance,” Seth said, straightening. His eyes gleamed with hard

triumph and I knew—flush with the energy he’d taken from Royal—he’d already managed to heal the

broken rib. “You’re powerful, Braedyn. More powerful than I think you realize. That makes you a

great ally. It also makes you a dangerous enemy. So you can see the unfortunate position that puts me

in.”

“Because you’re fond of me?” I asked, my eyes narrow slits.

“Yeah. Exactly.”

At that moment, Lucas managed to pry the crossbeam free. It hit the floor with a resounding thud

that echoed throughout the sanctuary. Seth glanced at Lucas, who tossed the candlestick aside and

reached a hand out to Cassie. Cassie was slow to react, and Lucas had to pull her to her feet. Seth

sighed, almost sounding bored.

“Tick tock, Braedyn,” he said.

“You know me,” I whispered.

I saw some of the amusement dim in Seth’s eyes. “I do.” He looked almost wistful. “I was just

hoping I might be able to appeal to your sense of self-preservation. Come on, Braedyn. You can’t fight

the whole Lilitu race single-handedly.”

“She won’t have to.”

I turned, my heart surging with new hope. Karayan strode in through the mission’s secret door

behind Illydia. She glanced at me, taking quick stock of my visible injuries. Her mouth tightened.

“Got your call,” she said. “It took me a minute to figure out where you were. Future reference?

You might want to include an address with your S.O.S..”

“Right,” I said. A slow smile spread across my face.

Seth looked from me to Karayan, considering. “This must be your ‘we-don’t-know-what-she-is-so-

we’ll-call-her-a-friend’ friend,” he said. “Karayan, is it?”

“And you must be the incubus.” Karayan looked thoroughly unimpressed. “I thought you’d be

taller.”

Seth’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Braedyn and I are talking right now. Look, I don’t mean to be

rude, but I can tell you’re low-born.”

Karayan’s cheeks flushed, but she met Seth’s eyes defiantly. “So?”

“So,” Seth gestured to Illydia. “Our mother was Lilith-born. Unless you’re ready to hang up those

sexy stilettos for good, you’ll turn around and walk out of here right now.”

Karayan’s eyes cut to me, uncertain. Then her gaze dropped to the ground.

Satisfied, Seth turned back to me. “Where were we? Oh, right. You were just about to give me

your decision.”

A sudden ringing echoed through the sanctuary—the unmistakable sound of metal sliding against

stone. Karayan had kicked something across the floor, directly toward me. I stopped it with a foot. It

was Senoy’s sword. I bent to pick it up, sliding my hand up the handle toward the guard. The sword

was perfectly balanced. I swung it around, regaining the feel for the weapon from my few sessions

with Hale.

Seth took an involuntary step back, suddenly cautious. I might not be the master with this weapon

that Senoy was, but it didn’t really matter. An angel’s blade could do serious damage to a Lilitu.

Including, it appeared, incubi.

I looked up, meeting Karayan’s fierce grin.

“Sorry,” I said to Seth. “I’m sticking with the home team.”