Incubus (The Daughters Of Lilith)

by Jennifer Quintenz

  20 seconds later I was behind the wheel of my car, speeding off toward school.

  The campus parking lot was packed. It looked like half the school had turned out for opening night. I pulled into the first parking spot I could find and killed the engine.

  I’d thought this through, and if Royal was even partly himself tonight, he’d be here.

  I got out of my car and ran across the parking lot for the performing arts center. Campus seemed deserted; everyone must be inside watching the show. My shoes slapped against the pavement with a sharp, staccato sound that echoed across the parking lot. I’d realized on the drive over that I didn’t know if “one night down” referred to today or last night. If it had been last night, and the incubus had found Royal again today... No. I was going to find Royal first. I wouldn’t let myself consider the horrible thought that it might be too late to do anything for him.

  The lobby was empty. I could hear the musical intro for the second song through the doors to the theater; the play was well into the first act. I bypassed the theater entrance and headed down the hallway that led backstage.

  The main lights were off in the greenroom, replaced by blue backstage working lights to help the actors and the crew find their way. And even though they were much dimmer than the lights in the lobby had been, my eyes needed no time to adjust. I scanned the faces of everyone I passed, looking for Royal. No luck. I turned to see if he was in the costume closet. The door ahead of me opened, and I froze.

  Cassie emerged from the costume closet with Mr. Hart, her arm curled through his. As I watched, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, then slipped into the chaos of backstage, ready with the mantle that Guinevere wore in the next scene. I felt my blood run cold. All the denials, all the secrecy—but what I was seeing seemed pretty clear.

  Mr. Hart watched her go. His eyes swept over the crowd of students, all busy with their jobs for the show. Then he saw me and froze.

  I hurried after Cassie, catching up to her in a few strides.

  “Braedyn?” Surprise flashed across her face. “What are you doing backstage? We’re in the middle of the—”

  “Where’s Royal?” I asked, cutting her off.

  She read the urgency in my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “Is he here?”

  “No,” she said slowly. “He missed crew call. I tried to reach him but—” her eyes searched my face. “Something’s wrong. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know yet,” I said. “You—you should focus on the show. I’ll look for him.”

  “Tell me what’s happening,” she said, grabbing my arm before I could escape.

  “Shhh!” The stage manager, hunched over an annotated script, shot us a withering look and jabbed his finger at the stage, just beyond the double doors in front of us. He held a finger to his lips and gestured for me to leave. “Scene change in two pages,” he whispered to Cassie.

  Cassie looked torn, but she grabbed me by the arm and led me away from the stage, oblivious to the stage manager’s panic behind us.

  “I knew something was wrong,” Cassie breathed.

  “When’s the last time you saw him?” I asked.

  “Last night,” she answered. “He was working costumes backstage so I could watch the dress rehearsal. He was supposed to come tonight to help me prep, then he was going to watch the show—”

  A sudden thought sprang into my head. “He said something about a date—”

  “What?”

  “A date to his brother’s wedding,” I said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Have you ever met Royal’s guy?” I asked. Cassie shook her head. Another student dressed all in black tapped Cassie on the shoulder.

  “10 seconds, Cassie,” she said. Cassie looked at me, worry distorting her features.

  “Go,” I said. “I’ll find him.”

  Cassie didn’t look happy, but she nodded and left.

  I glanced back to the costume closet. Mr. Hart was still standing there, watching me. After a moment, he approached me. “Braedyn,” he said. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “Why is that?” I asked, thrown.

  “I thought you’d want to be with your friend. I imagine he must be pretty traumatized.”

  Royal’s face flashed across my thoughts. Mr. Hart gave me a look full of pity.

  “He seems like a nice kid, I hope he makes it through. Something like that—it could scar a person for the rest of his life.”

  Fury darkened the corners of my vision. Mr. Hart laid a hand on my shoulder. I recoiled.

  “Don’t touch me,” I hissed. “I know what you are.”

  Mr. Hart’s eyes went flat and cold. He glanced around. Suddenly the crew leapt into action for the scene change. No one was paying any attention to us.

  “All right, Braedyn,” Mr. Hart said. “You want to do this now? Fine.” He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into the costume closet. I jerked out of his grasp and stumbled back into the worktable. Mr. Hart closed the door and flipped the lock. He turned to face me, spreading his hands wide. “There. No one will interrupt us. Why don’t you get it all off your chest.”

  I fought to keep the fear out of my eyes. “Keep your hands off of my friends or— or—” but what could I do to an incubus?

  “I’m not loving the threats,” he said. “Why can’t we talk about this like two reasonable people?”

  “Reasonable?” I stared at him, incredulous. “You still think we’re on the same side?”

  “We are,” he said. “You just can’t see it yet.”

  Something inside of me snapped. I lunged for him, fueled by the helpless rage I’d felt since finding Royal’s hat on my bed.

  I shoved him hard, and Mr. Hart hit the ground, curling his arms around his head. “What the hell?!”

  I dropped onto his chest, straddling him. In the same motion, I pulled the dagger out of my bag. “What did you do to Royal?!”

  Mr. Hart eyed the dagger, but he kept his voice calm. “Put it down, Braedyn. I don’t believe you want to hurt—” but his voice cut off as I grabbed his hair and leveled the dagger at his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut.

  “Why?” I asked. “Why him?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he whispered, looking for all the world like a terrified victim.

  “Don’t lie to me!” I jerked his hair and his eyes flew open. “You completely shielded your mind. No human could do that. Most Lilitu can’t do that.”

  Mr. Hart met my gaze. “Please. Put the knife down.”

  “I’m going to ask you one more time,” I said. I glared straight into his eyes—and suddenly his pupils began to dilate.

  “I don’t know what you want to hear,” he whispered.

  I gripped his hair tighter, but a sick fear was working its way into my stomach. His pupils—what if I’d made a terrible mistake? There was one way to test him—to know for sure.

  “Tell me the truth,” I said. “What did you do to my friend?” The call burrowed through the air between us, cracking through this reality with sounds like little chimes.

  “She needed someone to talk to,” he answered. His words came haltingly, but they came. “About Parker. Someone who wouldn’t judge her.”

  “Not Cassie,” I growled. But I’d done my work too well, he couldn’t stop. He told me the entire story of their relationship, from the first time he found her crying at the worktable, to the day he joined her for a session with the school counselor. He recounted the day I’d seen him and Cassie talking in the closet. He’d worried then that it had looked like a compromising situation, and he’d decided to find a time to talk to me about it. He’d wanted to allay my fears, knowing that the last thing Cassie needed right then was more suspicion or judgment. He thought he’d gotten through to me that day behind the theater—the day I’d fought with Lucas, I realized. Based on the story he told, Cassie had truly come to depend on him this past semester. And why not? Royal wasn’t the confidant she needed for thi
s, and I hadn’t been there for her. I didn’t want to believe him. Part of me kept looking for the glimmer of the incubus behind his words. But as he finished the story, I realized it was true. It was all true.

  Mr. Hart was human.

  “I’ve been afraid she’s got a crush on me, but I’d never—” he blinked, and a tear slid free from one of his eyes. “I’d never hurt one of my students. Never.”

  I lowered the dagger back into my bag and released his hair. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I—I was wrong.”

  He blinked and looked up at me, shaking off the power of the call with some effort. “Braedyn?”

  The lock flipped and the door opened. “Mr. Hart? Are you in—?” Cassie entered and saw us. Her expression went slack. “Oh. I didn’t—I didn’t know.” She turned, fumbling to pull the door closed.

  Mr. Hart’s eyes found my face. “No. No—Cassie! Wait!” He pushed me off of him and rolled to his knees, standing a few moments later. But when he reached the door, he turned back to me, torn. “This—this could end my career.”

  “I’ll go after her,” I said. “I’ll explain.”

  Only, when I left the costume closet, I couldn’t find Cassie anywhere.

  I scoured the backstage, then moved out into the theater’s lobby. At the next scene change, I could hear the chaos backstage—and the growing panic when it became clear that the costume department had gone AWOL.

  I crossed the lobby toward the glass doors. When I opened them to exit, a sudden, frigid wind greeted me, blowing in from the east. It bit through my sweater, driving straight into my bones.

  “Cassie!” I shouted. No one answered. I ran out into the parking lot, looking for any sign of movement that might give her away. But Cassie had picked her hiding place well, and if she could hear me, she was choosing not to answer. Finally, I was forced to admit it; Cassie was gone. But Royal needed me more right now. Whoever the incubus was, he was still out there. Only—I had no idea where to look for Royal. And if he was with the incubus right now, they could be anywhere in the town.

  I slumped against the trunk of one of the school’s aspen trees, wracking my brain for any ideas. My eyes rose to the sky. The moon hadn’t risen yet.

  My breath caught in my throat. The moon hadn’t risen yet.

  We hadn’t been able to return the vessel because according to Angela’s notes, the ritual wasn’t complete until moonrise. What if the seal was still closed?

  I pushed off the tree and ran for my car. I might not know where Royal was, but I had a pretty good idea where the incubus might be. He’d gone to great lengths to get us to perform the ritual for him. I was willing to bet that he’d do whatever it took to makes sure no one disturbed the vessel until the ritual was complete.

  Unlocking the driver’s side door, I slid into the car and keyed the ignition. The Firebird roared to life, and another thought pushed into my mind. I was betting—I was betting with Royal’s life. Because if I was wrong, and the incubus was with Royal right now instead of where I guessed he was, Royal would be lost to us forever.

  But if I was right? If I was right, there was still time to stop the seal from opening.

  Chapter 17

  A sprinkling of stars dusted the sky overhead, frozen in place against the velvety black backdrop of night. My mind felt fractured. Yes, my hands gripped the wheel, some small part of me navigating the streets in a haze—but my thoughts were miles away at the mission. I relived each moment of the ritual, wincing as the knife sliced through my palm in memory. I gripped the wheel tighter and my hand throbbed in protest. The pain goaded me on, a sharp reminder of our terrible mistake. But what we’d done, we could undo. I had to believe that.

  I turned onto my street. My body strained against the seatbelt, compressing the air out of my lungs. I hit the brakes, suddenly aware of how fast I was driving. The Firebird lurched as the wheels locked up, tires squealing against the road. I slid for a few feet, but my speed was back under control. My heart thudded in my ears, louder than the sound of the Firebird’s engine as I tapped the gas. Moments later, I turned up the driveway in front of my house and killed the engine, leaving the keys in the ignition. I opened my car door and caught a whiff of burnt rubber, but paid it no mind. I charged up the path to our front door, reaching for the doorknob. Unlocked, it turned under my hand. I shoved the door open and burst inside, expecting to find Dad, Hale, and Thane still arguing at the kitchen table.

  Instead, I found Seth and Lucas sitting in silence. Seth hunched over a steaming mug of herbal tea as Lucas glared at him. The spicy aroma filled the foyer. He looked beaten down, defeated. They must have told him what we’d done by performing the ritual. Lucas turned as I entered. The look he gave me was so impersonal it stopped my breath for a moment.

  Seth looked up half a heartbeat later. His face lit up and he stood. “Braedyn!” And then the memory of our day crashed in on him and his face twisted in misery. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe we—”

  I strode into the dining room. There wasn’t any time to waste. “Seth, don’t. It’s not too late. We can still stop it.” Seth gave me an incredulous look. Lucas turned his back on me, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket.

  Seth glanced at Lucas, startled. “Lucas? Did you hear what she—”

  “They’re out looking for her.” Lucas cut him off shortly. “I’m just going to tell them where she is.”

  “Who—who’s looking for me?” I asked. The memory of Thane’s rage was still fresh in my mind. Could he have set the entire Guard after me?

  Instead of dialing, Lucas glared at me. “Don’t worry. Even after everything you’ve done, Hale wouldn’t let Thane spill your secret. Congratulations. Some people still have faith in you.”

  “Fine.” I turned away from him, unable to meet the anger in his gaze. “Call them. They’re going to want to hear this anyway.”

  “What’s going on?” Seth asked, walking over to me.

  “It’s not over,” I gushed to Seth. “We can still stop the ritual.”

  Lucas hesitated, phone in his hand, listening.

  “Come on.” I pulled Seth toward the door. “I’ll explain at the Guard’s house. We’re going to need all the Guardsman we can get to help us.”

  “You need the Guard?” Seth glanced at Lucas, stricken.

  “What?” I asked, sensing their sudden tension.

  “Max spotted the guy in that sketch down in Old Town about an hour ago,” Lucas said. “Everyone not looking for you is out looking for him.”

  “But—” I felt the panic pressing up through the base of my skull. There was time before the moon rose, but not a lot of time. “We’ve got to get to the mission.”

  Seth stepped back, pulling away from me. “You want me to go back there?”

  “We don’t have much time,” I said.

  “But the seal is open.”

  “No, it’s not,” I snapped. “You said it yourself, the ritual isn’t complete until moonrise. There’s still time to stop it. But we have to go now!”

  “I—” Seth eyed me, looking small and terrified and fragile. “I can’t.”

  “We have to,” I said, staring at him with disbelief. “Seth, this is our fault. We’ve got the chance to make this right. We have to take it.”

  “I’m not like you,” Seth whispered. Shame burned in his cheeks. “I’m not a fighter.”

  “Seth,” I pleaded with him.

  “I’ll go,” Lucas said. I turned to look at him, but he was bending to pick up the jacket he’d tossed over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Lucas ignored me. “Call Hale,” Lucas said to Seth. “Get him to pull the rest of the Guard back. Tell them to meet us at the mission.” Seth nodded. Lucas glanced at me, shrugging into his jacket. “Let’s go.”

  I ached to reach for him, but held myself in check. “Right. My car’s right out—” Lucas brushed past me wordlessly. I fell silent, stung.

  “What’s t
hat all about?” Seth murmured quietly into my ear, watching as Lucas paused in the foyer to zip up his jacket.

  “He knows what I did,” I said simply.

  Seth bit his lip, awareness entering his eyes. “Oh.”

  “You coming?” Lucas stood in the foyer, one hand on the doorknob. I turned to join him, but he didn’t wait for me. He opened the door.

  Cassie stood on the doorstep, her eyes puffy and red-rimmed. “Where’s Braedyn?”

  Lucas glanced at me, zero curiosity in his gaze. “Make it fast,” he said. He walked past Cassie. She spotted me and entered, fists balled at her sides.

  “You know, after I saw you and Mr. Hart together,” Cassie stopped, her voice shaking with rage. She took a deep breath. “I didn’t think I wanted to see you ever again. But now—”

  “It’s not what you think,” I whispered.

  “Don’t.” Cassie’s eyes were bright with fresh tears. “Don’t lie to me, Braedyn.”

  “I know what it looked like,” I said, raising a hand, trying to appease her.

  Cassie snapped. “The door was locked,” she screamed. “You were on top of him! When you knew that I—” She turned away from me, scrubbing the back of her hand against her eyes furiously.

  I could feel Seth’s eyes latched onto me, burning with curiosity. My cheeks grew hot. “I know,” I said.

  “You’re supposed to be my best friend,” she whispered.

  My heart wrenched, but at that moment I heard my car engine roar to life outside. “I’m so sorry—but I can’t do this right now.”

  “No, of course not. Why would you make time for a conversation that could save our friendship?”

  “Cassie—”

  “Don’t bother,” she said, turning away. I grabbed her arm—I couldn’t let her walk out like this. But before I could say anything, she spun on me, pure venom in her eyes. “You’re a hypocrite, Braedyn Murphy,” she growled. “You give me all this grief about Mr. Hart, when nothing ever happened between us. Then you turn around and—” Cassie brought her hands up to her face again, as if she could scrub the memory out of her head. “You could have any guy you want. Why him?”