Incubus (79 page)

free.”

“Could,” Lucas said. “If it works.”

“It will work.”

“How do you know that?” Lucas asked. “We don’t know anything about this ritual. Thane’s

halfway across Canada, and all of Angela’s research burned up in the fire.”

“Not all of it,” I said. Lucas stared at me. “We have her journal.”

“We?”

“Me and Seth,” I said. Lucas’s jaw tightened. “We just need the vessel, and then we can end this

whole—”

Lucas pulled his hand away. “Braedyn, no.”

“Do you know where it is?”

Lucas shook his head, helpless with frustration. “I don’t. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. Hale and

Murphy said no. We have to trust them.”

“But this is our life, Lucas. They don’t know how hard we have to work, just being this close to

each other.” As I spoke, I felt my words reaching Lucas. I placed my hands on his chest, urging him to

hear me. Urging him to understand. “This is the only thing keeping us from being together. Can’t you

see that?”

“I—” Lucas looked torn.

“Please.” I willed my words to move him. Lucas’s green eyes seemed to lock onto mine. His

pupils started to open—

“What are you doing?!” Amber grabbed my arm and spun me away from Lucas. As we parted,

Lucas staggered back. It was like a spell had broken. “What was that— What are you doing to him?!”

I looked at Amber, shaken. I’d been so focused on Lucas, I hadn’t heard her approach. And then

the reality hit me. I turned to Lucas, fear leaping into my throat. I must have used my Lilitu powers on

him, trying to bend his will. Lucas stared at me. His face lost its color as the same realization hit him.

“Are you okay?” Amber asked, turning to Lucas. “Did she hurt you?”

Lucas couldn’t pull his eyes away from my face. “Braedyn?”

I gave a strangled cry and fled. I had to get away; I couldn’t bear the accusation in Lucas’s eyes.

Terror gripped my heart. I hadn’t intended to exert Lilitu power over him, so how had it happened?

Was I losing my mind? Were my powers growing beyond my ability to control? Or was this simply

what it meant to be a Lilitu? To manipulate and control people without any effort at all?

I was dimly aware of Lucas shouting after me. He caught up to me behind the theater building. He

spun me around to face him.

“What the hell happened back there?” He was breathing hard from the sprint.

“I’m sorry.” I said. He deserved an explanation, but I didn’t have one to give. “I didn’t realize—”

Lucas’s hands relaxed on my arms. It was all I could do to choke back a sob. “You should stay away.

Stay away from me. I—I’m dangerous.”

Lucas shook his head, too angry to speak.

I’ve lost him,
I thought.
I’ve finally lost him.
Part of me had always believed this was too good to

be true. That I didn’t deserve Lucas’s loyalty, or his love. Of course it was over. We were enemies; a

Lilitu and a Guardsman—we could never work. And now Lucas knew it, too.

“I’ll leave you alone.” My voice quavered as I pulled free from his grasp. I turned away from him,

ashamed of the tears threatening to stream down my cheeks.

“I know what you are,” he said. I felt his hand on my arm and reacted without thinking, spinning

around, ready to strike. “Whoa! I wasn’t trying to—” Lucas looked sick at my reaction. “Braedyn, I

don’t want you to leave me alone.”

I lowered my hands, stricken. “I don’t understand. I almost—” But I couldn’t say the words.

“Enthralled me?”

“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered.

“I believe you.”

“You don’t understand. I didn’t mean to use any Lilitu powers on you. It just—happened.”

“So let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Lucas—” I started to protest.

“Like I said. I know what you are. It doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

I shook my head, unwilling to accept this.

“You’re forgetting,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve felt you in my mind. When

Ais had me, when I thought I was going to die, you were there for me, giving me strength. I
felt
your

love. I know you would never hurt me.” Lucas gave a bitter laugh. “That’s why I don’t care that you’re

spending so much time with Seth, even though it’s obvious the guy’s head over heels in love with

you.”

I felt a hot tear slip down one cheek. Lucas gently thumbed it away, leaving his hand to cradle my

cheek.

“Until you tell me you don’t love me anymore, I will never doubt you.” Lucas enfolded me in his

arms, and I responded, circling my arms around his back and holding on for all I was worth. We stood

there for several long minutes, ignoring the icy December wind. Finally, reluctantly, Lucas pulled

back and looked into my face. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to help you get yourself killed.”

“Lucas?” I felt a knife of ice twist in my stomach and knew then that someone—Dad? Hale?—had

talked to Lucas, convinced him that the best way to protect me was to keep me from the vessel.

“If keeping you safe means we have to wait a little longer, I’ll deal. It’s worth it.”

“Lucas, you’re not listening to me.
Twenty years
isn’t a little—” But Lucas cut me off, placing a

finger across my lips.

“Braedyn.” Pain laced his voice. “I’m too vulnerable to you right now. I’m asking you to stop,

please.”

I stared at him, suddenly speechless. Lucas brushed his hand against my cheek again, then pulled

away from me.

“And—don’t take this the wrong way, but I think maybe we should cool it on the dreams for a few

nights.” Lucas turned and left, without waiting for a response.

I stared after him, at a loss. I had to make him see—that vessel was the key. Whatever he knew, he

had to share it with us before it was too late. But before I could summon the energy to follow him, a

door opened behind me. It was Mr. Hart.

“Braedyn?” he asked. “I thought I heard someone fighting out here.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said, taking a step away from him before I could stop myself.

Mr. Hart’s eyes tightened, and he studied me for a long moment. “Everything okay?”

I stared at Mr. Hart, suddenly remembering I’d been unable to touch his dreaming mind. After

Seth and I had seen the stranger in his house, I’d simply assumed we’d found our incubus. Now,

looking at Mr. Hart, I couldn’t fathom why we’d left this stone unturned.

“Braedyn?” he prompted. “Is there something on your mind?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, fighting to keep my voice level.

“You don’t like me very much, do you?” he asked with a small smile. Before I could figure out

how to answer this question, Mr. Hart looked around, then lowered his voice. “Listen, Braedyn. I’m

not a bad guy. I mean, you can ask Cassie.”

“What does this have to do with Cassie?” I asked, my voice faint.

A group of students rounded the corner of the building. Mr. Hart glanced at them, eyes narrowing.

He turned back and caught my gaze. “Just that, whatever you think you know, you should consider the

possibility that you’re wrong. I know you don’t want to see her get hurt any more than I do.”

I stared at him. Was that a threat?

“If you think about it, we’re really after the same thing,” he said. He retreated into the theater,

closing the door behind him.

I stood there until my hands ached with the cold, torn by indecision. On the one hand, I wanted to

find Lucas and convince him that we needed his help to locate the vessel. On the other hand, I needed

to make sure Cassie—who spent every afternoon under the power of the charming Mr. Hart—was

okay.

The costume closet, nestled in the heart of the building, was a cozy little den of creativity. I poked my

head into the room and saw Cassie hard at work at the table. A sturdy sewing machine hummed as she

guided material under the needle with expert moves. She was so absorbed in her work, she didn’t

notice me enter. I waited until the sewing machine stopped.

“Cass?”

Cassie looked up. When she saw me, she held a finger up. “Hang on.” She clipped a few loose

threads and turned the creation inside out. It was a large tunic in rich black brocade and velvet. Cassie

glanced at it, then turned to drape it over a wide dressmaker’s form. “I am insanely overwhelmed,”

she said. “Our Mortimer broke his leg—compound fracture. They think he’s going to be in traction for

a week or two. So Mr. Hart had to cast a new Mortimer, who’s three sizes bigger than the old

Mortimer, hence the mad scramble for new costumes at the last second.” She finished draping the

tunic and stepped back to give it a critical once-over. “Well, that’ll be good enough for a fitting,

anyway.”

“It’s gorgeous,” I said.

Cassie turned away from the costume. “What brings you to my kingdom?”

“Just, wanted to check in,” I said. “See how things are going.”
Make sure you’re not turning into a

little snack pack for an incubus.

Cassie wrung her hands. “I know things have been kind of weird between us this semester. I hate

it.”

I felt a swell of emotion at her honesty. “Me too,” I said. “I really hate it.”

“Hug it out?”

I laughed, and opened my arms. Cassie and I embraced tightly. When she pulled back, she was

smiling. “I’m so glad you came. I’m freaking out about this play.”

“Why?” I asked. “Everything I’ve seen of your costumes looks amazing.”

“It’s—” Cassie shook her head and I saw that she was really nervous. “I just wish I had more time

to get everything right before all my work is paraded in front of the whole school.” So it wasn’t that

she was worried about the costumes, she was worried about putting her talents on display for our

peers. “I know that’s stupid. People are going to be paying attention to the actors, not what they’re

wearing.”

“Cassie,” I chided. But telling her that her costumes were likely to be as eye-catching as the best

performances on that stage probably wouldn’t help matters. So I bit my tongue.

“Maybe—” Cassie gave me a pleading look. “Do you think you could come to dress rehearsal on

Friday? It’d be great to just get an outside perspective on the whole thing.”

“I’ll be there,” I said.

“Knock, knock.” Mr. Hart walked into the costume closet. Cassie turned, her face filling with a

happy glow at the sight of him. I eyed Mr. Hart, trying to conceal my worry from him. But I didn’t

have to bother—he wasn’t looking at me. His attention was focused on Cassie. Try as I might, I

couldn’t sense anything supernatural about him. And yet, Cassie looked at him with such devotion.

She straightened, unconsciously straightening the hem of her shirt. “Hi, Mr. Hart.”

“I’ve brought you a Mortimer to fit.” Mr. Hart made a sweeping gesture back at the door as a

stocky kid waved. Cassie barely glanced at him.

“Excellent. I’m all ready.” Cassie turned back to me, almost as an afterthought. “I should get back

to work.”

“Right,” I said, stepping out of the way as the new Mortimer entered to admire the tunic.

Mr. Hart glanced at me with a veiled look. “Anything I can help you with?” he asked.

“Nope.” I tried to keep my voice light for Cassie’s benefit. “I was just leaving.”

“Then we’ll see you later, Braedyn.” Mr. Hart turned his back to me, watching Cassie measure the