Page 15
Story: Accidentally Vacationed with an Incubus (Briar Coven #2)
I felt my lip twitch, a smirk threatening to form. “That’s a relief.”
Her cheeks darkened, and she dropped her gaze, suddenly very interested in her plate of pancakes. Was she thinking about the next scene? Wondering if we’d be acting that one out too? But even with my senses dampened, I could tell she was too embarrassed to talk about it right now.
I leaned back, deciding to steer the conversation somewhere less charged. “So...” I said, voice casual. “You never did explain why you can’t use your magic—or why my magic doesn’t affect you.”
There were only a few reasons why a witch would be stripped of her magic.
A powerful witch—say the head of a coven—could forcibly sever a witch’s connection to her power.
She could also be carrying a hexbane talisman, but those were incredibly rare, and unless she had one tucked away in a pocket, she certainly wasn’t wearing one on her person.
Then there were reptilian shifters. Most had some degree of magic inhibition woven into their abilities.
Basilisk shifters, for example, produced a venom highly sought after by healers for its ability to dull magic, to calm, and occasionally hold users in thrall depending on the dose.
But a full bite was lethal to all but the strongest, near-immortal beings.
A single strand of a gorgon’s hair had the power to break any curse—but a full head of living, writhing serpents would turn even the strongest creature to stone.
I doubted she was part of a dragon’s impenetrable hoard—they were almost extinct.
In fact, the only dragon I knew of was the one Jasper’s pack protected, and I only knew that by accident.
Jen let out a slow, measured breath. Rising from her chair, she glanced toward the living room, before quietly clicking the kitchen door shut.
When she returned to her seat, she pushed her half-finished plate of pancakes aside, her fingers curling into the fabric of her hoodie, twisting it between them.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Look, I should probably tell you something.” She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the table. “The reason I’ve been gone long enough for my cousin to turn my home into a novelty vacation rental is because...”
I leaned forward slightly, instinct tugging at me, my muscles flexing with the urge to reach for her. But instead, I forced my hands to stay where they were. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
I wanted to pull her into my arms and take away whatever had her looking so damn haunted.
She’s not yours , I reminded myself.
“If you go into town, you’ll hear about it sooner or later, so I might as well tell you myself.” Jen inhaled deeply, as if bracing for impact. “I’ve been in mortal prison for the last nine years... for criminal negligence.”
I blinked. “Oh,” was all I managed to say.
Her fingers twisted tighter into her hoodie, her knuckles turning white.
“The warden was some kind of supernatural—I don’t know what , she never told me—but she had magic that suppressed others’ abilities.
That’s why I can’t use mine. It’ll wear off eventually, but until then.
.. I’m hiding out here before I go back to my coven. ”
Nine years. That was a long sentence for criminal negligence.
Unless someone had been seriously hurt.
As if sensing my thoughts, she dropped her gaze, her voice quieter now.
“I don’t remember why I did it,” she admitted.
She glanced at the door, as if making sure it was still firmly closed.
“But... I messed with the wiring in my parents’ car.
The brakes failed.” She let out a shaky breath. “And they died.”
The air between us went still, thick with something unspoken.
“Jen, I’m so sor—”
“Don’t.” Her voice was sharp, cutting through my words before they could take shape.
Her hazel eyes shimmered, unshed tears threatening to spill, her bottom lip trembling as she forced herself to keep going.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I deserved my sentence.
And more.” She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly.
“Just... please don’t bring it up in front of BooDini.
It’s innocent by nature, and I don’t know if it fully understands that I’m the reason my parents are never coming back. ”
I met her gaze. “I won’t say anything. You have my word.”
Relief flickered across her face, softening the tension in her shoulders. “Good,” she murmured.
Pushing her chair back from the table, she stood, shifting awkwardly as she made her way to the door.
“I’m going to, um... spend the day editing up to the next, uh.
.. intimate scene.” Her fingers curled around the doorknob.
“We can do your dating thing at, like, seven, and then do my, um... thing after that, if that works?”
I nodded, but before I could respond, she was already gone, the door clicking shut behind her.
***
I spent the next seven hours trying—with little success—not to dwell on what Jen had told me. But the more I turned it over in my mind, the more wrong it seemed.
I’d met plenty of witches and warlocks in my time.
Physically, they were no match for an incubus like me.
But magically? They wielded some of the most potent forces of any supernatural being.
If Jen’s parents were in a car and suddenly realized the brakes had failed, why hadn’t they just stopped the car with a simple freezing spell?
Even if they didn’t have time for that, a shield charm should have been instinct—an automatic reflex to protect themselves in a crash.
But they didn’t.
And that was what nagged at me. Two experienced witches, and neither of them had managed to cast a single spell to save themselves?
I just couldn’t see how that was possible.
My thoughts were abruptly cut off when BooDini floated into my room at exactly seven p.m., its little sheet arms waving in a clear come along motion.
With a sigh, I pushed to my feet and followed, trailing the ghost down the stairs.
It led me straight to a chair by the fire, gesturing excitedly for me to sit.
I settled in, and BooDini hovered beside me, practically vibrating with anticipation.
A moment later, the soft click of Jen’s bedroom door opening and closing echoed from upstairs.
As I waited, my gaze drifted to the ghost. Jen was right—it was ridiculously innocent.
And while it clearly had a mind of its own, it was also.
.. trusting. Something protective stirred in my chest. I’d always had a soft spot for those who were vulnerable.
It was why I hadn’t hesitated to save a near-feral Hell’s Gate pup all those years ago.
It was why I couldn’t shake the nagging doubt about a witch who had pleaded guilty to criminal negligence that resulted in her parents’ deaths—because there was something in her eyes that didn’t match the crime.
And BooDini—technically dead, technically untouchable—was still something that could be used , manipulated .
And that thought? Yeah... not on my watch.
A quiet cough pulled me from my thoughts, and for the second time today, I had to actively stop myself from rising to my feet and pulling her into my arms.
Jen stood in the doorway, wrapped in her layers like armor.
She wore a pair of charcoal-colored ripped skinny jeans, her ever-present tattered hoodie zipped all the way up to her neck, and a pair of battered old Converse so torn that flashes of violently pink socks peeked through the sides.
Her hair fell forward, partially obscuring her face, her posture drawn in, shoulders slightly hunched, as if she were trying to make herself smaller. Invisible.
Her voice was quiet. “I figured it would be best to see what I’m working with before coming up with a way to help you.”
“Huh?” was all I managed.
Jen sighed, crossing her arms. “I was thinking we could go into town and watch you try to ask someone out—see where you’re struggling.”
I barely resisted the urge to visibly cringe. I’d assumed Jen would sit me down, maybe go over some pickup lines or dating etiquette—not throw me into the deep end. The thought of trying to charm another woman while she watched felt... odd.
But on the other hand, I wasn’t exactly dreading the idea of spending more time with her.
And it was a ten-minute walk into town. Fifteen if I dragged my heels.
“Okay,” I said, smirking as I stood. “So, where are you taking me on this date?”
Table of Contents
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- Page 15 (Reading here)
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