Son of a Succubus Series Collection

by Dorie, Sarina

Abigail made a face at him, threw her dress, chemise, and bloomers into the bushes and ran off down the path. He tried to rationalize that she wasn’t a brat because she lacked a soul. It had to be a stage in her cognitive development that made her defiant, combined with his faulty skills as her teacher.

  Lucifer set down the bushel, gathered up her clothes, and set off after her unhurriedly. At least there were no Fae in this forest.

  He didn’t think there were anyway. He used his awareness to stretch beyond his body and see if he could detect Fae magic at work. Unicorns technically were Fae, though their magic felt different from others Lucifer had encountered. He didn’t even feel that, which was peculiar.

  He didn’t hear the clomping of hooves anymore. He quickened his pace.

  Lucifer caught the shimmer of metal through the trees as the path twisted to the right. Abigail squealed in excitement.

  “Up,” she said.

  A low male voice spoke, his accent posh. “Aren’t you a pretty little creature?”

  Lucifer rounded the bend and caught sight of Godric. The duke’s son was clad in fine clothes from a mishmash of eras. Today he wore an eighteenth-century cravat under a sixteenth-century brocade doublet that looked too hot and stuffy for the warmth of the day. The Georgian-style top hat was covered with enough frills and feathers to pass as a woman’s hat. He sat atop a white filly with green ribbons woven into her mane.

  Godric stared down at Abigail as she hugged his horse’s neck, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. Only a hint of glamour hid his remaining injuries, and Lucifer could see through it well enough. His pretty-boy appearance was enhanced without the prominence of scars on his face. A lock of sandy hair fell into his brown eyes as he murmured something quietly to Abigail.

  “Abby. Come here,” Lucifer called.

  She ignored him.

  Godric raised an eyebrow at Lucifer, his grin cocky. “It looks like you woke up your sleeping beauty with a . . . kiss after all?”

  Lucifer didn’t like what he implied. “It wasn’t a kiss that woke her. I had to put her soul back into her body.”

  “Indeed. I’m certain you put something in her body to wake her.” Godric continued to ogle her. “Do you want a ride back to the cottage, love?”

  “Come along, Abby.” Lucifer took Abigail by the arm and tugged her back. “Civilized people don’t go about the forest without their clothes. It’s time to dress.” He shook out her chemise.

  “It won’t offend me if she prefers to be uncivilized,” Godric said.

  Lucifer didn’t bother to reply. Abigail eyed the horse, her expression mournful. She made a neighing sound.

  “If you’re good, and you put your clothes back on, you can pet the horse,” Lucifer said.

  “Unicorn,” she corrected, using a word she’d never spoken before.

  “That isn’t a unicorn. It’s a horse.” He tried to hand her the chemise, but she ignored it.

  “Unicorn,” she insisted.

  He navigated her head through the collar and helped guide her arms through the short sleeves. The task was difficult with the fabric still being damp enough to cling to her. It didn’t help matters with the way she kept squirming to look at the horse. She barely even looked at Godric, though he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her.

  “Is there some reason you have to be a pervert and stare like that?” Lucifer asked.

  Godric led his steed to the side of the path and stared off into the trees as Lucifer dressed Abigail. He helped her into her bloomers, though she refused to wear her dress. She pointed to his shirt, still in the basket.

  “You want me to dress? Is that what you’re saying?” Lucifer supposed he would be a hypocrite if he didn’t fully dress, but he made her do so.

  Abigail picked up his shirt and flung it at him.

  Godric snickered. “Misery loves company, doesn’t it?”

  The moment Lucifer began to pull his shirt over his head, Abigail darted off to the horse, stroking the face and neck.

  “Do you want a ride on my horse?” Godric patted her on the head. “Do you know how?”

  She nodded.

  Lucifer shifted the bushel to one arm and reached for Abigail with his free hand. “No. And she’s not riding up there with you and your gono-herpe-syphil-aids. Especially if the reason you came back is to cure another disease.” At least he didn’t feel throbbing pain emanating from Godric this time.

  Abigail squirmed away from Lucifer.

  Godric’s lips pressed into a line. “Really. That was uncalled for.” He leaned closer to Abby. “Do you want a pony ride?”

  “No,” Lucifer said firmly.

  “It doesn’t have to be me up here with her. I’m perfectly fine taking a break and walking instead,” Godric dismounted. “Do you know how to ride? You can sit with her.”

  Lucifer paused, afraid this was a trick. “I’ve ridden a unicorn.”

  Godric motioned to Lucy and handed him the reins. Lucifer had no idea how to seat himself in a saddle.

  “Grip the pommel. Stick your foot into the stirrup.” Godric placed Lucifer’s hands in the right places. He gave him a boost into the saddle.

  Lucifer accidentally kicked a heavy saddle bag. It took a minute before Lucifer was in place.

  “This doesn’t make a comfortable side saddle appropriate for a maiden, so it’s probably easiest for her to ride in front of you.” Godric lifted Abigail onto the saddle and helped situate her next. Part of that involved hitching up her dress.

  Abigail patted Godric on the head. The Witchkin man took up Lucifer’s bushel of laundry without being asked and the reins in the other hand. Lucifer supposed he should have been thankful, but he’d learned to be suspicious of Fae and Witchkin men—and their intentions with pretty maidens.

  “Shall we head this direction to water my horse?” Godric asked.

  Lucifer nodded. “The stream is that way.”

  Lucifer felt mildly bad for being such a grouch and not greeting Godric more politely earlier. He struggled for the right words to sound conversational, as opposed to someone with a lack of practice at social etiquette. “What, um, brings you back to Baba’s cottage?”

  “Just visiting. I brought gifts.”

  No one just visited Baba without a reason. The other man wanted something from the hedge witch and obviously was lying about it. “Why have you really come calling?”

  Godric didn’t answer.

  Lucifer steered the horse away from a branch that was low enough to smack into Abigail. “Haven’t you anything better to do with your time? You do have friends, don’t you?”

  Godric lifted up his nose at that. “As it happens, I have many friends at court.”

  “Then why’d you come to see Baba?”

  “Oh, the usual,” Godric said airily.

  “More venereal diseases?” Lucifer couldn’t keep the mocking tone from his words.

  Godric glanced over his shoulder, frowning. “Indeed, but not my own. I’m inquiring for a friend.”

  Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You tried that excuse the last time you were here.”

  Abigail squirmed and Lucifer held an arm firmly around her waist so she wouldn’t slide from the saddle. She leaned against him, loose strands of her auburn hair tickling his neck.

  “It’s for a lady friend,” Godric said. “You gave me enough medicine for myself and one other. After some thinking, I decided it would be … gentlemanly if I inquired after the health of some other young ladies I had … acquainted myself with. I wanted to make sure I have enough Morty medicine for them in case I passed on any illnesses to them.”

  “How many maids have you spread sexually transmitted infections to?” All things being considered, Godric was willing to risk his pride to do the right thing. Lucifer almost didn’t dislike him as much.

  “I’d wager only two more.”

  “I thought most Witchkin didn’t acquire bacterial diseases,” Lucifer said.


  “Yes, well, my magic is compromised as well as my immune system. And the maids in our house, they only possess the ability to work small magic, nothing complex like healing. Nor do they know the kind of magic to detect venereal diseases. It’s a complex spell. And it isn’t exactly the sort of thing a man like myself can simply go to my father’s wizard to ask about.”

  The horse turned her head, and Abigail leaned in the saddle to stroke the white mane. Lucy held her tightly so she wouldn’t fall forward. When she eased back, she was practically sitting on his crotch. It wasn’t an altogether unpleasant sensation, but Lucifer didn’t want to think about how welcome it felt for her to be pressed so close. He willed himself to think about cold baths and herbs that caused impotence.

  They watered the horse and allowed the filly to rest. Lucifer tried to make polite conversation, but it was full of halts and dead ends. Lucifer pretended the tense silence between them didn’t stretch out like molasses. Abigail waded through the water, petting the horse and making neighing noises, trying to get the filly to answer. Lucifer was so busy trying to think of something to say that didn’t sound like he only spoke the language of growls and insults that he didn’t notice the sirens.

  It was Abigail tugging on his sleeve and pointing that made him look down the stream.

  Three sirens sat on rocks on the other side in the sun. They waved and Abigail waved back. Algae grew in their dark hair and decorated their necks and wrists like jewelry. They wore very little else.

  All three sirens were beautiful, with shimmering skin that resembled fish scales.

  “Lucy! Come join us,” one of them sang in a melody that carried on the wind.

  “We were hoping we would snare you in our nets today,” another teased.

  If he hadn’t been preoccupied with Abigail, he might have joined them. Perhaps that had been the true reason Baba had wanted Lucifer to visit the stream, not so much to spend time alone, but to spend it with someone. A few someones.

  Baba was always wanting him to power up his magic. He now wondered whether she specifically needed him to do so in order to fuel one of her spells. If Godric was here, she might need to use energy Lucifer gathered as a result of using his affinity.

  “Are those women acquaintances of yours?” Godric’s brows drew together in concern.

  “I know most of the inhabitants of the forest.” Lucifer waved at them politely, but he didn’t call out to them. “I’m familiar with the sirens who dwell in these waters.”

  “Lucy! Who are your friends?” One of the sirens stretched her arms out toward him. “There’s three of you and three of us. It would be an equal coupling today.”

  Lucy turned away, his face flushing pink. He glanced at Abigail who was innocent enough not to comprehend.

  “No, it wouldn’t be equal at all!” another siren said. “How would we decide who gets Lucy?”

  Lucifer pretended not to notice Godric’s raised eyebrow.

  “They’re just joking. Teasing,” Lucifer said.

  Abigail tugged on his beard and pointed, wanting to join the women. He couldn’t blame her for being curious and excited about the idea of meeting new people.

  He took her face in his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Those are sirens, Abby. Their music is pretty, and they might call out to you, but you aren’t to join them. Especially not if you’re alone. They won’t mean to, but they’ll accidentally hurt you.” He turned to Godric, who was watching the sirens.

  They began to sing. Godric swayed on his feet.

  Lucifer nudged Godric. “It would be best if we headed back.” Lucifer kept his voice low, not wanting to insult the sirens. “They’d just as soon seduce you above the water as below it. Sometimes they forget the difference.”

  “How do you know?” Godric kept on staring, his smile dopey. “Have they ever tried to drown you?”

  Lucifer supposed he might as well admit the truth. Godric might actually heed his advice if he did. “Not on purpose. Fortunately, I’ve learned to hold my breath.” That, and his magic seduced them just as thoroughly as they seduced him. Not that it was any of Godric’s business what Lucifer was.

  “I can hold my breath.” Godric swayed in time to the singing.

  Lucifer grabbed his shoulders and propelled the knave toward the horse. “Are we done here? Will you help Abby up again?”

  Lucifer turned to find she had taken off her clothes again.

  “Abby!” Lucifer said in exasperation. “You need to get dressed.”

  She pointed at the sirens as if to prove how unnecessary clothes were.

  If it wasn’t one problem, it was another.

  * * *

  Godric neighed and made horse noises to entertain Abigail on the way back to Baba’s cottage. Lucifer supposed he should have been grateful that the other man bribed Abigail into behaving by giving her candy. Even so, Lucifer was vexed that Abigail hadn’t listened to him. She’d minded a stranger better than she minded him. If she could be coaxed that easily into dressing, she might be coaxed into undressing.

  It wasn’t safe for her to be left unchaperoned.

  Lucifer supposed if Godric wanted antibiotics, he would have to return to the Morty Realm to get them. That meant he would have to trust Kelsie to look after Abigail. He would have liked for Godric to say something licentious or nasty so he had an excuse to be grumpy, but the young man was perfectly behaved. Lucifer wanted a reason not to go to the Morty Realm on this errand, but he had no excuse to justify his dislike for the other man.

  Once they reached the cottage, Godric presented Baba with bottles of vodka, cured sausages and ham, a wheel of cheese, and pastry flour. She didn’t leave her chair where she knitted her current blanket, but she nodded to each gift in acknowledgment.

  Baba’s eyes gleamed with interest. Kelsie left the dinner she was preparing, to fondle the cheese wheel. She showed Abigail how heavy it was and explained what each of the gifts were. Apparently, Godric had paid attention to the kind of gifts Baba had liked from last time.

  Lucifer feigned indifference, despite the way the sausages made his mouth water. He didn’t want Godric to think he could be bribed into being his pack mule for Morty-crafted medications every time he caught a disease.

  Lucifer crossed his arms. “You might as well explain that these gifts aren’t for the sake of altruism. There’s something you want.”

  “A silent fool is counted wise.” Baba’s jabbed a knitting needle in his direction. Her lips puckered as they pressed together. “It does not take divination to figure out such revelations.”

  Kelsie snickered.

  Abigail bit the side of the cheese wheel. She left teeth marks in the hard wax casing, but that was as far as she got before Kelsie took it back.

  Godric cleared his throat. “I am in need of more medicine. Penicillin, it was called. I have brought coin so that your apprentice may fetch some for me.” He held a small purse out to Lucifer.

  Lucifer inspected the contents. The man had brought several silver coins, one gold, and some brass ones as well.

  Baba squinted at Godric. “You have not come only for medicine. You have another reason for coming, da?”

  Godric cleared his throat. “I do have another reason for calling on you.”

  Baba leaned forward with interest. “You want special potion to cure sister’s scars?”

  Godric hesitated. “No. I didn’t like what it cost last time.” His gaze cut over to Abigail.

  Lucifer didn’t know if he could keep himself from punching the man if he knowingly asked for cures to scars after it had cost Abigail her toes last time.

  Godric shifted uneasily. “I wouldn’t mind transferring this gift you gave me to my sister, but only if the price wasn’t something that hurt someone else.”

  “Gift that is given once can be given again, but there is always price.” Baba smiled pleasantly, looking more like someone’s grandma than someone who would cut off chi
ldren’s toes. “If you wish cure for sister, you must bring her to me.”

  Godric bowed his head. “I’m afraid that isn’t possible. My sister lacks the stamina for travel, and she isn’t fit to be seen in public.” He glanced at Lucifer and then edged back.

  Lucifer realized he was scowling and forced his face to relax. He reached out with his magic and felt the butterflies in the other man’s belly. He sensed no other pain in Godric’s body, no new diseases. It was difficult to predict his true reason for returning if it wasn’t for gathering medicine for his former lovers or a cure for his sister. Somehow it didn’t surprise Lucifer that Godric had an ulterior motive.

  “Out with it,” Lucifer said, his impatience growing. “What do you want from us?”

  Godric glanced at Abigail, who hugged the sausages to her chest.

  “Is it not obvious?” Baba asked. “He wants to take Abby home with him.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Prince Homewrecker

  An animal-like roar escaped Lucifer. No way in all the realms would he allow anyone to take Abigail from him. He lunged forward, bent on wringing Godric’s neck. The other man leapt back, darting behind Baba’s chair like a coward.

  “Behave, Lucy,” Baba said.

  He would not behave.

  Kelsie held up a hand, using her wind affinity to knock Lucifer back. He stumbled into the table before she eased up.

  “Just listen.” Godric held up his palms in a placating gesture. “I didn’t know she was awake. When I set out, I’d assumed she was still cursed. I thought my father’s wizard might be able to cure her. Truly, I only had honorable intentions in mind.”

  Lucifer clenched his fists down at his sides. “And I suppose you thought you might approach Baba about this while I was away fetching medicine for you. You thought you would carry her off, and I wouldn’t hunt you down and kill you for it.”

  Abigail flinched back from the growl in his voice. She hugged Kelsie and buried her face against the young woman’s shoulder. Lucifer didn’t like that he’d frightened her.

  “I wasn’t going to steal her away.” Godric lifted his chin. “I intended to pay you, but I wanted to discuss the matter with Baba first. I thought she might advise me so that I could better convince you.”