by Karen Lynch
An Incubus reached his first fertile cycle at age thirty, and every thirty years after that, he was consumed with the need to reproduce. It was only during this fertile period that he could breed. There were no female Incubi, so he chose a human woman to bear him a son. Gestation took six months, and as the fetus grew, it fed off the mother’s energy, draining her strength. The Incubus would carefully tend to the woman, feeding her his own energy daily to help her make it through the difficult pregnancy. Even then, many women did not survive the birth and the infant mortality rate for Incubi was high.
The Incubus raised his son until the child reached adulthood at twenty. By then, the younger Incubus’s territorial instincts kicked in, and he went off on his own.
The rare Incubus that lived past two hundred years was driven by more than the need to produce offspring. He became obsessed with creating a family, and he bound his children to him before puberty, in a special ceremony. During the ceremony, the child received his sire’s mark on his wrist, a mark that only a very powerful Incubus could bestow. When the son hit adulthood, he did not feel the urge to leave, and he stayed with his sire for the rest of his life.
An Incubus that bound his children to him was called a Lilin, and they were as reclusive and as powerful as a vampire Master. When they entered their fertile cycle, their need to reproduce made them one of the most dangerous demons on earth.
“A Lilin?” Beth echoed incredulously. “But I read that they hate cities.”
I nodded. “That’s true. The only reason one would come to a city this big is to breed.”
Sara held up a hand. “Wait. Don’t Incubi have one baby at a time? Why would he take more than one girl?”
“A Lilin is not like a normal Incubus,” I told her. “The older they get, the more offspring they want, and some are said to sire as many as twenty in one cycle.”
“Twenty?” Sara choked out.
Beth put a hand to her mouth, her eyes rounded in horror. “But those girls are so young. Jessica and Tracy are only seventeen. So is Mei.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “A Lilin will only breed with strong, healthy females between the age of sixteen and twenty-one. Incubi can sense if a human is diseased or sick, so they know which ones to take.”
“Now we know why there were only teenagers at the club,” Jordan said. “The rave was a perfect cover for them to check out the girls and choose the ones they wanted.”
Sara looked ill. “Those poor girls. We have to find them before he…”
Nikolas took her hand in his. “The Lilin will wait until the peak of his cycle, when he’s most fertile, to breed. He has to prepare the females first by feeding them his energy. And he won’t breed until he has all the females he needs. As far as we know, only three girls have been taken. The attack at Luna tells us he’s still looking.”
“And now we know what we’re looking for,” I said.
Beth frowned. “But there are thousands of girls that age in Los Angeles. How will we know who he’ll go after next?”
I sat on the arm of a chair. “We don’t. But a Lilin won’t go unnoticed long by other demons in this city, especially by other Incubi and Succubi. Lilin are like royalty among their kind, and their mark is easily identifiable to anyone who knows what to look for.”
Jordan tapped her chin. “He’d need somewhere to keep the girls. Or would he take them back to his lair?”
“He’d have to keep them near him so he can feed them every day,” I said. “And a Lilin never takes females from his own territory, so we know his permanent lair is not close to Los Angeles.”
“Then they’re still in the city,” Beth said.
She wore a determined look that made my stomach clench. I didn’t want her anywhere near this one, and if I had my way, she’d be leaving Los Angeles tonight. Once this Lilin figured out we were onto him, he was going to feel threatened, and a cornered Lilin was unpredictable and deadly.
“Okay then.” Jordan looked from me to Nikolas. “Where do we start?”
“The first thing we do is reach out to our most trusted contacts in the demon community.” I looked at Sara. “Can you work with Kelvan and David to see if you can find where the Lilin is staying? It will be a large, secure property, most likely rented within the last six months. And tell them we have to be discreet so we don’t tip off the Lilin.”
“I’ll call them as soon as we’re done here.”
“Good.”
“What about us?” Jordan asked.
“You work with Raoul. Find out everything there is to know about Luna and whether or not there are similar places we haven’t heard about. If anyone can find a party, it’s you.”
“Sounds good.” She smirked at Beth. “Let’s party.”
“Beth won’t be working with you on this one,” I said, earning startled looks from them.
Beth opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off.
“New warriors pair with experienced warriors for this job. You will work with me, and Sara will be with Nikolas. Mason will work with Brock. If we need to switch it out for any reason, we will, but this is how it will be for now.”
Beth’s lips pressed into a mutinous line, but it had been ingrained in her to follow the orders of the senior warrior in the field. It would take a few years for her to start breaking free of those restraints – unless Jordan’s rebelliousness had rubbed off on her. I sent up a silent prayer that wasn’t the case. I didn’t think I could concentrate on my job, knowing she was out there with a Lilin loose in the city.
And I wouldn’t pretend I wasn’t happy with this arrangement for other reasons. Working together would give me time with Beth, to talk and to get to know each other again. She’d done her best to avoid being alone with me since I’d declared my intentions toward her, but she also hadn’t tried to break the bond. She might say she didn’t want me, but until she made it official, I’d do everything in my power to win back her trust.
“What will you and I be working on?” Beth asked in a tight voice.
“Tomorrow, we’ll pay a visit to one of our informants. If anyone knows about a Lilin in Los Angeles, Adele will, and this is not something I want to talk to her about over the phone.”
“You need me with you to talk to her?” Beth asked skeptically.
Sara scoffed. “More likely he needs you to protect him from that she-demon.”
“That, too.” I smiled at Sara, who did not try to hide her dislike of the succubus. I turned back to Beth. “Talking to informants is an important part of our job, and I think this would be good practice for you.”
She looked only slightly appeased by my answer. “Okay.”
Nikolas leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees. “We don’t have to tell any of you how serious this situation is. A Lilin is single-minded when it comes to breeding, and he will let nothing get in his way. If by some chance you encounter him, do not engage him. Chris or I might take him in a fight, but he is stronger than the rest of you combined.”
“Hey!” Sara poked Nikolas in the ribs.
“Except for Sara,” he amended, capturing her hand. “But I don’t want you anywhere near him either.”
“This is not like any demon you’ve met so far,” I told Sara. “He is highly intelligent and ruthless. His offspring are fanatics when it comes to serving him, and they will gladly give up their lives for him. Plus, their bond with him makes them stronger than the average Incubi.”
Jordan grimaced. “I can attest to that.”
“You sound like you know him,” Sara said to me.
I shook my head. “This isn’t the first Lilin Nikolas and I have hunted. They all share certain characteristics that help them survive so long.”
Sara frowned. “They must have some weaknesses.”
Nikolas nodded. “Like all demons, a Lilin can be killed with a silver blade to the heart, beheading, or fire. But they are stronger and faster than most demons, which is why it would take an older warrior to match them in stren
gth and speed. The only time a Lilin is weak is at the peak of their cycle right before they breed and during the pregnancy. They drain their power by feeding it to the females to help them through the pregnancies. But by then, they are safe inside their lair.”
“Great,” Jordan muttered.
Sara got to her feet. “If you guys don’t mind, I’m going to call David and Kelvan. The sooner we get working on this, the better.”
I nodded, and she pulled her phone from her pocket, dialing a number as she walked toward the control room.
“And I’m going to find Raoul and give him the great news about his new partner.” Jordan stood, wearing a Cheshire grin. “You coming, Beth?”
Beth darted a glance at me then back to Jordan. “Might as well.”
She got up, and the two of them followed Sara. I watched Beth until she was out of sight. All I could think of was her in that tunnel and what could have happened if the Incubus hadn’t been alone, or if he’d chosen to fight instead of run.
“I know what’s going through your head,” Nikolas said, pulling my gaze back to him. He smiled sympathetically. “I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but you’d know I was lying. You saw what I went through with Sara.”
I gave him a pained look. “Don’t remind me.”
“All you want to do is take her and get as far from Los Angeles and the Lilin as possible. If Sara wasn’t as powerful as she is, I’d try to take her away, too.”
“I’m sure she’d have something to say about that.”
He chuckled. “She already did. When I told her about the Lilin, she told me in no uncertain terms that she is not leaving.”
I sighed heavily. “As much as I want Beth away from this, I know she’d hate me if I tried to get her to leave. I’m already on thin ice with her.”
“She hasn’t broken the bond, so the ice can’t be that thin.”
My heart constricted at the mention of breaking the bond. Even though Beth had stayed away from me since yesterday, I could feel the connection between us every time I saw her or felt her nearby. The furtive looks she shot me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention said she felt it, too.
“We’re not breaking it,” I said gruffly.
His brows rose in question.
“We have things to work out, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” I gave him a sheepish smile. “There may be some groveling involved.”
Nikolas burst out laughing.
I scowled. “You’re going to enjoy this, aren’t you?”
He leaned back into the couch, wearing a devilish smile. “Immensely.”
Chapter 9
Beth
“MR. KENT, IT’S good to see you again,” said the blond half-ogre male who admitted us to Blue Nyx.
Chris smiled and ushered me in ahead of him. “Dolph, it’s been a while.”
“It has. Mistress Adele is expecting you. You can go on up.”
I’d been in a few underground clubs in Los Angeles, but one look at the interior of this one told me it was vastly different from the other clubs. Most places catered to a specific nonhuman species such as weres, demons, or Fae. Blue Nyx’s patrons were an odd mix of people I never would have expected to see together in one building.
As we entered the main room and walked past the dance floor, I saw several species of demons, some of whom I’d only read about. Mox, vrell, and taag demons danced together away from a group of tall, blond, and exquisitely beautiful people who had to be faeries. A human male ground against a female pixie, and beside them an elfin male was practically undressing a human woman.
The air in the club was thick with lust and something else that made me think of pressing my body against Chris’s and…
Whoa. I blinked and mentally shook off the naughty images flooding my mind. I resisted the urge to place my hands against my heated cheeks, and I prayed Chris had no idea what had been going through my head. Sneaking a glance his way, I let out a sigh of relief when he seemed unaware of my frazzled state.
I should have been more guarded. I knew Adele was a succubus, and she fed off the sexual energy in the club. Her magic drove people to a higher state of arousal, and apparently, I was not immune to it.
I couldn’t tell if it affected Chris at all or if he was just used to it. Either way, he ignored the dancers and headed straight for a flight of stairs to the second floor. He checked to make sure I was beside him, and then we ascended the stairs together.
At the top of the stairs, Chris turned toward another half-ogre standing in front of a door. The guard tipped his chin in recognition and stepped aside to allow us entry. Chris opened the door and waved me into what must be Adele’s office. There was no sign of the succubus, but Chris looked unconcerned as he took a seat on one of the two couches. I sat on the other end of the same couch, keeping two feet of space between us.
A door at the far end of the room opened, and a tall, gorgeous woman with long blonde hair and violet eyes emerged. She wore a floor-length gown of midnight blue with a deep V neckline that plunged to her naval, where a diamond piercing winked at us.
She gave me a brief assessing look before her gaze settled on Chris. Her red lips curved into a sensual smile. “Chris. It’s good to have you back in LA. Why have you waited so long to come see me?” She pouted as she walked toward him. “You know how much I enjoy your company.”
I felt my brows shoot up at her suggestive tone. When Chris stood and Adele pressed against him in what was definitely not a friendly hug, something dark and ugly stirred in my gut.
Mine, my Mori growled.
Not ours, I thought as my hands curled into fists. I had to fight the stupid urge to tear Adele away from Chris and throw her through the window overlooking the club. I gritted my teeth and looked away from them. If he wanted to get cozy with her, it meant nothing to me, even if my Mori wanted to rip her limb from limb.
“Good to see you, Adele,” Chris said amiably. “I’d like you to meet my new partner, Beth.”
Partner?
Adele echoed my thoughts. “Partner? But what about Nikolas? You two have worked together so long.”
“We still do, but it was time for a change.” Chris smiled down at me. “Beth and I go way back, and I think she’d make the perfect partner for me.”
My stomach fluttered at the dual meaning of his words.
“I see.” Adele looked at me with new interest. “It’s nice to meet you, Beth. Any friend of Chris is welcome at my establishment.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too.” Liar, liar.
Adele trailed a hand down Chris’s arm before she sauntered over and reclined on the other couch in a provocative pose. Now I saw why Sara couldn’t stand the succubus. If she’d behaved like this around Nikolas, it was a wonder Sara hadn’t fried her ass. I wasn’t even mated to Chris, and I wanted to gouge Adele’s eyes out to stop her from looking at him like he was her next meal.
“So, what brings you here tonight?” Adele asked as Chris sat again. “You were very mysterious on the phone.”
“This is not something either of us wants to discuss on the phone,” he replied soberly.
Adele sat up straighter, suddenly all business. “It sounds serious.”
“A fertile Lilin always is.”
The succubus drew in a sharp breath, but her eyes betrayed her. She knew something.
“Who is he?” Chris asked, coming to the same conclusion.
“I don’t know.”
I had planned to let Chris ask all the questions since he knew Adele, but I couldn’t resist saying, “I thought you knew everything that happened in this city.”
Her lips pressed together in annoyance. “There are some things even I don’t know.”
“Tell us what you do know,” Chris said.
Adele smoothed the fabric of her dress over her thighs. “Two weeks ago, there were twenty-three Incubi in the greater Los Angeles area. To my knowledge, there are none left as of today. They were either killed or scared off.
There is only one thing I know of that could drive every Incubus out of a city.”
Chris nodded. “Did you ask around to see what was going on?”
“I did when the Incubi first started disappearing, and an Incubus friend told me he believed a Lilin had arrived in town. He was planning to leave the city because we all know a Lilin will not tolerate other Incubi except his sons in his breeding ground.”
“Do you know where your friend went?” Chris asked her. “I’d like to contact him.”
Fear flashed in her eyes. “That would be difficult because he was killed last week. Since then, I’ve stopped asking questions.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. I had no love for Incubi or Succubi, but it felt like the right thing to say. She had lost a friend.
Adele gave me a surprised look. “Thank you.”
Chris leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees. “Can you tell us anything else?”
“I can tell you that it takes a very old and powerful Lilin to clear a city of Incubi this fast, and there are about to be a lot of disappearances in this area.”
“It’s already started,” Chris said. “Three girls so far, that we know of.”
She nodded gravely. “If he is as old as I suspect, he’ll want to sire at least ten to fifteen young, maybe more. He’ll take twice that many girls.”
I gasped loudly. “Thirty girls?”
Her violet eyes met mine. “I don’t know how much you know about Lilin. They will breed with as many females as possible to ensure viable pregnancies.”
“Oh my God.” I felt ill thinking about what those girls would suffer if we didn’t find them.
“What made you suspect a Lilin?” Adele asked Chris. “There are many reasons why human girls go missing.”
“Last night, Jordan fought an Incubus who was trying to abduct a teenage girl. He had the mark of a Lilin.”
“Did the Incubus escape?”
“Unfortunately.”
Adele wore a troubled expression. “The Lilin will know you are onto him, and that will make him a very dangerous adversary.”