Save My Soul (12 page)

Anna was panting, wearing the t-shirt and pajama pants she’d gone to bed in. He hadn’t undressed her. Well, there was that. Small consolation.

“Luc?” she said. The room was shrouded in inky darkness, and she considered the wisdom of sleeping with the lights on in the future.

“Yes?” His voice came from the direction of the chair.

“Can you see me in the dark?”

“I can.”

“Well, turn the light on, jackass.” The lamp flicked on. “I hate you.”

He winked at her. “Oh come now, Anna, you can’t blame an incubus for trying.” He looked quite smug and pleased with himself. “You’ll break. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I said not to touch me. What? Five prostitutes aren’t enough for you? Maybe I should have gone for an even half dozen. Stay the hell away from me!”

He flinched but recovered quickly. “I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

He stood and moved closer to her. “You know it could be so good. You have to feel this thing between us. Those other girls, they’re just food. It doesn’t mean anything. You’re the one I want.”

She rolled her eyes and chucked a pillow at him. “Yes, the male argument from time immemorial. They don’t mean anything. It’s just sex. Bullshit. I told you I cannot and will not share.”

“There is a way . . . ”

“No!” If he thought she’d fall for the if you’ll just give me your soul line, he was crazy.

“Fine!” He snarled and turned toward the door.

“Stay out of my dreams. I know what you are now.”

He spun toward her, his voice becoming dangerously low. “What do you mean, you know what I am now?”

“I saw it. I watched you lie to women, tell them what they wanted to hear. I saw you lead them to your bed and kill them. I saw it. You’re no better than Cain.”

Anna didn’t tell him she’d also seen him later, saw the change that had started. She was too angry. She understood why he’d try to show her the second part of the dream, to weaken her resolve against him. But she couldn’t begin to guess why he’d shown her the first part. She knew he’d killed, but to see it was something quite different. Her sympathy for the demon in her bedroom was coming to an end.

“What do you mean you saw it?”

“In my dream, the one you were in. I was inside your skin. I saw everything.”

She didn’t think a demon could faint, but Luc might be the first. He looked awfully pale. “I was only in your dream when I was trying to seduce you just now.”

Anna wanted to call him a liar, but his face revealed genuine shock and . . . shame? She felt the tingling start in her hand. The bond was infecting her dreams now.

Anna wasn’t looking forward to breakfast. In the light of day, the harem seemed even more vulgar than it had the night before. But the kitchen was empty aside from Luc, who was flipping pancakes and drinking coffee.

“If I see Vince, he’s dead,” Luc said.

“What?” Of all the things he could have told her first thing in the morning, a mention of her ex-boyfriend in Atlanta hadn’t made the top hundred.

“You’re not the only one getting dreams. That shithead better hope he never comes back to Golatha Falls after the way he treated you.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond. Part of her was all melty that he’d kick Vince’s ass for her, though another part was a little worried, considering her visit to the hospital the previous night. Also, a casual death threat from Luc was more than creative hyperbole.

So instead, she just lamely said, “Do we have orange juice?”

He gestured with his spatula. “In the fridge.”

They were in the middle of suffering through a quiet and awkward breakfast when the doorbell rang.

“Oh shit!” Anna shoved the last bit of pancakes into her mouth and tossed the plate into the sink. “That’s Tam. I forgot about her. You have to go.”

Luc looked amused. “Go where?”

“Be invisible. You can’t let her see you.”

“But I like being visible.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, and an image of them naked together on the kitchen island flew through her brain. She looked at him suspiciously, wondering if he’d put the visual there. He just smiled.

Yep. He’d put the visual there.

The doorbell kept ringing. “Just a second, Tam!” She turned to Luc. “You can’t be serious. Do the poof disappear-y thing.”

“No.”

“Why are you tormenting me?”

“I will change into something less . . . conspicuous.”

Before Anna could ask for clarification, there was a fluffy, white Persian cat sitting on the kitchen table.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. She’s gonna think I’m becoming a crazy cat lady. Every time she sees me, I have a new cat.”

“Mrarrr,” Luc said, sauntering off ahead of her into the living room.

Anna was well on her way to gray hair. The doorbell rang again. “Dammit!”

Tam had her wonderful qualities, but patience was not among them. She was like a female Luc, minus the demon part and the great abs. She tried to stop thinking about the abs and focus on the demon part as she opened the door.

“Is it okay that I’m here?” Tam asked.

“Of course it is,” Anna said, her voice going up a register. “Why wouldn’t it be okay? I said ten o’clock didn’t I?” She was wearing a smile on her face that would put any Vaseline-toothed beauty queen to shame.

Tam peered into the house and screamed. Anna turned to see what had caused the panic attack.

Luc had decided he wasn’t really into looking like a Persian cat after all. He must have needed something roomier, because sprawled across her entryway floor was a giant lion with a look in his eyes that was way too self-aware for her taste. He let out a little roar for good measure, looking like the MGM lion and causing Tam to jump back. He slunk over to Anna and nudged her hand like a kitten that wanted to be petted.

“This isn’t amusing, Luc.” Anna tried to sound stern, but her lips kept twitching into a smile. She was coming to feel almost safe with the weird little annoying things he did. It was better than the angst and brooding, anyway.

“Bitsy and Mimi are gonna be by for their morning walk any minute. I don’t want them to think I’ve got a circus in my house.” She thought she saw him lift one shoulder in a shrug as he turned and went to the other side of the room.

“ That’s the incubus?” Tam looked disturbed.

“He normally looks human,” Anna said, as he changed back into his human form. She was mildly surprised to see him wearing a black silk shirt and matching slacks. Demons could shift outfits, too? They were quite the magical multi-talents. She’d have to ask him about that later.

Tam leaned in and whispered, “Hot damn! This is what’s living in your house? I thought you were crazy for wanting to come back yesterday, but now I can see why. I’d risk my life for some of that, too.”

Anna could tell he was pretending not to hear, though he couldn’t seem to help preening at the attention.

“Yeah, well, usually it’s even worse. Most of the time he’s shirtless, looking like he’s about to pose for a Harlequin cover. Let me just get the kitchen straightened up, and we can get started.”

She tossed the dishes into the washer and wiped down the counters, hoping none of the harem came downstairs before she had a chance to explain things to Tam. That was not a conversation she was looking forward to having. Explaining that she was now the madam of an incubus whorehouse sounded less than fun at the moment.

When Anna returned, Tam was cozied up on the couch with the incubus. She cleared her throat, and the two of them looked up guiltily. Of course they were guilty. They looked far too snuggly together on the couch, talking like old lovers sharing inside jokes. If he thought he could sleep with her friends, he was insane. Feeding him did not include giving him access to every female she knew.

“Stay away from her.” She wasn’t sure if her voice shook from anger or fear.

He looked up, his expression mild. “Why? Are you jealous?”

“Oh yes, I’m jealous that you might suck the life right out of her. Pick me, please pick me.”

“Really, nothing was going on,” Tam said, stars still in her eyes.

Anna ignored her. She wasn’t angry with her friend. Who could resist Luc? He had that nefarious thrall thing going on that he was probably using to make Anna jealous. Which wasn’t working, by the way.

She grabbed Tam by the arm and had to practically drag her into the kitchen.

“He’s so . . . wow,” Tam said. Her voice was dreamy and breathless, like a Stepford Wife . That bastard had hypnotized her. Anna was going to find a way to rip his appendages from his body, starting with the one he needed most for survival.

“Yes, I have eyes. I can see him. But I’m not going to think about having sex with him because I have this thing called a survival instinct.”

Tam’s eyes lit up like she thought she was in on a secret. “You like him.”

“I do not!”

“But there was banter. I saw it.”

“We don’t banter. We snark, and that’s a completely different vibe,” Anna said.

“He likes you. Didn’t you see the way he looks at you?”

“You mean like a fancy restaurant he can’t get a reservation at?”

Tam was drooling a little bit. “But just look at him . . . My God, the muscles he must have hidden under that shirt.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “He’s trying to seduce you.”

Luc walked in then, a mask of mock indignation on his face. “I am doing no such thing.”

“Think about this for a second, Tam. Incubi are shapeshifters. They’re obviously going to pick a form that’s sexually appealing.”

Luc poured himself a glass of juice. “I’ll have you know, this has been my human form for going on more than five hundred years now. Also, I’m standing right here.”

“Then leave.”

“I told you, I can’t leave the house.”

“The house is big. Go to the far end of it.” She turned her attention back to Tam. “As I was saying, that’s an illusion he creates to lure women into his bed. His real form is probably very scary, like put you in an institution scary.” Her eyes widened as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

“What?” Luc said.

“Sara Johnson.” She backed away, remembering Caroline’s daughter in the psych ward. “That’s why . . . ”

“Let me explain.” His palms were up in a placating gesture as he inched closer to her.

Anna stared at him and shook her head, backing up even further until she reached the door. She fumbled behind her for the knob that released her into the garden, not taking her eyes from him as she stumbled down the steps.

When she was far enough away, she finally turned her back to him. The garden was devoid of life, the plants having dried up long ago from lack of care. Even the fountain had been drained. A dark green algae was forming in the bottom.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped before she remembered Luc was trapped inside.

“Are you okay?” Tam asked.

“No. Even with the dreams, sometimes it’s easy to forget what he is.”

“Dreams?” Tam looked intrigued. Probably professional witchy curiosity.

Anna sighed and recounted the previous night’s nocturnal adventures. Like a good friend, Tam shivered at all the appropriate parts.

“I would have lost my shit. Are you sure Cain couldn’t see you in there?”

“Pretty sure.” If he could have, he surely would have addressed her or tried the sexual mind control on her. Or, maybe not while she was in Luc’s body.

Tam glanced back at the house. “You care about him.”

Anna swiped at a tear that had slipped out. “I can’t care about him. He’s a demon. It’s not safe. Besides, it’s too soon. I don’t fall for men this quickly. I want him. But then I figure: he’s hot, I haven’t had a real date in awhile, he’s evil so maybe he’s influencing me.”

She traced her finger over the scar. It was burning again. She scrubbed her palm against her jeans trying to rub away the pain and looked up to find Luc watching her from the kitchen window.

“I can’t get a moment’s peace!” She picked up a smooth rock from the bottom of the fountain and chucked it at the window, but he didn’t move away. The rock bounced harmlessly off and landed in the grass.

“We don’t have to think about the business today. Let’s just take a mental health day.” Tam helped Anna to her feet and led her to the green Mitsubishi parked in the driveway.

Anna laughed hysterically. Tam didn’t realize mental health was definitely something she was in danger of losing.

“Is there any place in particular you want to go?” Tam was still talking in the soothing tone as if Anna were a little rabbit that might get spooked and go hopping away.

“The Golatha Falls Sanitarium.”

Tam quirked a brow.

“There’s someone I have to see.” Anna was going to remind herself once and for all what Luc was. She was going to get herself back on track with her plan and forget the lies he’d carefully constructed to seduce her.

Anna hadn’t been gone thirty minutes when Olivia stumbled into the living room, pale and shaking. Her body weaved like she might pass out. Then she started pacing, a look of panic on her face.