Page 30 of Changeling (The Incubus Saga #2)

“I’m sorry but…what is this about exactly?”

Nathan and Shiarra had made it to Henry Faust’s place in less than an hour.

He looked younger than Nathan had expected since the guy was supposed to be in his forties; more like a young twenty-something, like someone who took good care of themselves.

He lived alone and had answered the door to his small country home without a shirt.

It was Shiarra who smiled warmly and spoke to answer him first, apparently pleased that her charms could be of some use. “We’re here regarding the property of your late relative, William Hollander. If you have a moment,” she added.

“Uncle Bill’s place? Sure, sure.” Faust ran a hand through his hair and stepped aside to let Nathan and Shiarra into the house, looking like maybe he had been taking a nap before they arrived since his eyes were tired.

He brushed his fingers through his hair to tame it and led them into a living room, where he swiped a shirt from off the back of a chair.

The rest of the place was very tidy and, Nathan had to note, a little too old poke country for his tastes.

Nathan couldn’t help noticing how Shiarra eyed Faust appraisingly while he put on his shirt. He was in good shape, sure. A little too blond maybe.

With a sharp elbow to Shiarra’s side, Nathan managed to knock her eyes from the guy’s ass before Faust turned around and caught her.

Charm was fine, but actually getting interested was not what they were there for.

Of course she just shrugged at Nathan innocently in response to his elbowing.

The look was remarkably akin to one of Sasha’s.

Nathan glanced at Walter, who had joined them just as they were pulling up to the small cottage. His brown eyes were narrowed on Faust with a look of concern and…confusion.

“Is this about the vandalism or the squatters?” Faust asked, offering Nathan and Shiarra seats on the sofa.

“Vandalism?” Shiarra questioned.

“Yeah. Didn’t you hear the whole place went down yesterday? Sturdy buildings like that don’t just fall over.” Faust sat himself down in a cushy-looking chair next to the couch.

“We’re here about a little bit of everything, Mr. Faust,” Nathan said.

“Or should we call you Henry?” Shiarra jumped in, batting her eyes at him.

Faust cracked a sideways grin. Nathan didn’t miss the way his eyes swept quickly over Shiarra’s body. “Hank, actually. Henry was my father. Our family has a long tradition of juniors.”

“So,” Nathan pushed right on, “Hank. First, I don’t suppose you could tell us why you were letting the Animus House just sit there, abandoned.

Even if you didn’t want to continue in your uncle’s footsteps with the place, it could have been renovated and made into a nice home inside the city.

It is still in your name, after all. The place just sitting there seemed a little… odd to me.”

A concerned frown crossed Faust’s face. “Why? Because I want nothing to do with the place,” he said simply.

“To be honest, the house has always given me the creeps. Uncle Bill didn’t want to see the place torn down after he died, so of course I took it.

I didn’t want to let him down, but being too close to the place or living in it, even for Uncle Bill’s sake, I just couldn’t imagine.

” Faust sighed, pain etched between his brows at the mention of his uncle.

“We’re sorry to bring all of this up for you again,” Shiarra said tenderly.

Nathan thought he was beginning to understand how to read the succubus, and she seemed entirely genuine toward Faust. Nathan glanced between the two of them and saw Faust smile in her direction. Then Nathan looked to Walter.

“Faust is human, Nathan,” Walter said, standing beside the man’s chair as he looked down on him.

“But there is fae magic here. Strong magic. He is almost certainly lying about any grief for his relative, but his power seems capable of convincing…even a succubus.” He turned to look at Shiarra as he spoke.

“It just gets to me that he spent so much time on that house, whatever he did with it, and no one even really cared when he passed away,” Faust went on.

“I didn’t want to think of that happening to me, so I just let the house sit.

If you want information about what happened to it or about those squatters, I’m sorry but… I can’t help you.”

“Thanks for your time,” Nathan said, getting up and looking at Shiarra as a sign that it was time to go. “It was a beautiful building and we were just curious about it. The story seemed like something that might be worth writing about.”

"Oh, you're journalists?" Faust asked, standing and extending his hand to shake Nathan's.

Nathan just smiled. "We'll call if we think of anything else we need to ask."

Shiarra looked at Nathan a little strangely at this sudden departure but reached for Faust’s hand as well, shook it, and made with polite goodbyes before following Nathan out.

As soon as they reached the car, Nathan shook his head at Shiarra with a soft chuckle.

“What?” she said haughtily. “I am allowed to admire. It’s not like it did any harm.”

“That’s not why I’m laughing.” Nathan climbed into the car and started up the engine.

Shiarra joined him, staring at him as she waited for Nathan to explain himself.

“You, thinking you can read people so well, were just swindled,” Nathan said.

“Excuse me?”

“Faust played you. He was lying . I don’t know about what, but he’s hiding something. I’m sure of it.” Nathan had thought as much even before Walter confirmed his suspicions.

“Nathan,” Shiarra said with an air of authority, “he was being wholly sincere. If you’ll recall, my senses for reading people’s emotions, for reading whether or not someone is lying , are—”

“Supernatural,” Nathan broke in, “just like what we’re dealing with. He’s hiding something and I want to know what.”

Shiarra didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but Nathan could feel her eyes watching him as he drove only a few miles down the road and then pulled over. “You think he’s the one we’re looking for?” she asked.

Nathan frowned. “He has something to do with this. I want to get a look around his place. I think we should wait and see if he leaves, and even if he doesn't, we might need to break in. I'm not worried about a little B&E if it means getting Sasha and Jim back to normal. Whatever it takes.”

There was silence in response and, after a while, it started to make Nathan nervous. He could feel Shiarra’s eyes scrutinizing him.

“What?” he finally asked in exasperation.

“Nothing. You just remind me of someone,” the succubus said with a small smirk.

“It’s uncanny…the way you care for Sasha so fiercely, for your brother, too.

I wanted to dislike you in the beginning, you know.

Just as I wanted to dislike him when we first met.

But then you have to go and be like this, admirable really, so intent and in love so deeply with someone of my family that I can’t help feeling…

happy for him. I always knew Sasha was too much like his mother.

Apparently, he has her same taste in men, too. ”

Nathan blinked at her. "Uhh…thanks," he said, since he wasn't really sure how else to respond, though it all definitely seemed complimentary. From what little he knew of Sasha’s father, Nathan didn't mind being compared to him.

Knowing they probably had a while to wait, Nathan decided to give Ula a call and check up on the boys.

As the phone rang, he thought to himself how much he hoped the next time he saw Sasha and Jim they would be their normal selves again, but then, if that happened, Ula would be alone with them when they changed.

A surge of sudden dread overcame Nathan as Ula answered.

“Twilite Motel!”

He’d called the front desk. She was at the front desk. “Are Jim and Sasha okay?” Nathan asked without greeting.

“Oh! Nathan? Of course they’re fine. Is everything all right? Jim and Sasha are in the back playing. They’ve been wonderful all day. I’ve only had to watch the desk every so often. We’re never that busy this time of year.”

“No…don’t worry about it,” Nathan said, “I understand you need to stay up there to check for customers, but we need you to move the guys to our room now, okay? We’re going to be a bit yet, but they…

need to be in a room.” Nathan hated how little sense that made, but it couldn’t be helped.

There was no way to know what kind of aftereffects ending the spell on them would have when he and Shiarra took care of Faust.

“Uhh…okay,” Ula said, sounding confused, “I can move them back into the room right away, and keep watch there. My mother is going to come in and take the rest of my shift in a few minutes.”

It almost pained Nathan how nice the girl was. “Thanks. Can you grab Jim for me so I can say hi?”

“You bet! Back in a jiffy!”

Nathan glanced aside at Shiarra, who probably could have overheard Ula’s exuberance even without super-hearing, and had to smile. At least there were still a few good people in the world.

Less than a minute later, Jim’s voiced boomed in the receiver. “Hi, Nathan!”

“Hey, pal. You behaving for Ula?”

“Of course! She brought us some balls and board games to play with. Ula’s great! Way better than if we were with someone normal.”

Nathan snorted at the comment. “Right. And Sasha’s good too?”

“Uh huh. When are you coming home?”

Nathan cringed. Home . There never really was a home anymore.

“Not too much longer, but Shi and I need you two to play it safe, okay? We think we’re close to solving this thing and getting you guys back to normal, so if that happens while we’re still gone and you’re with Ula, just… try to be careful.”

“Okay, Nathan. I’ve been real good so far. Sasha and I were playing ball before you called, and I can make it move real slow, like floating, just by thinking about it. Slow-motion catch! But when Ula came in, I made sure I let the ball drop so she wouldn’t see.”