Page 64 of Changeling (The Incubus Saga #2)

Nathan flipped around just in time to see Sasha go pale, not just from nausea or pain but because he was morphing into an incubus, something that was clearly being forced upon him.

Sasha’s eyes went red as he changed and he growled like he was frenzied.

Then Nathan understood. That was exactly what was happening.

“Of course you remember the first stage,” came the sidhe’s voice, calm and unfazed.

Sasha lunged for Nathan as soon as his vision cleared enough to see that a warm, prone body was in front of him.

Yeah , Nathan remembered that stage. But before Sasha could do more than grip Nathan’s arms painfully and tower over him, the incubus began to falter.

He shook his head, his vision clouding again while his breaths came slow and shallow as if the energy was draining right out of him.

“After that, things get more interesting,” she went on, like she was explaining something out of a textbook. “What happens if a frenzied incubus, starved already, fails to get what he needs? They don’t just remain frenzied. No, it’s actually quite fascinating what happens next.”

As Sasha began to stumble away from Nathan, disoriented and confused, Nathan dove for him.

As he grabbed onto his waist, Sasha almost instantly crumbled in his arms. He started to change back to human but only halfway, like his body didn’t know what it should be.

He was left with slightly longer hair, fangs, the red eyes Nathan loved, and blackened fingers.

He stared at Nathan as they fell to the floor together, recognition having returned.

“Exactly. It seems they find their way back to themselves in the end. Just long enough to be aware…as their insides rot from within them.” She bit out the last of it, a curse and promise.

“Stop,” Nathan choked out, on his knees with Sasha in his lap, just as it had been when he thought Sasha had died in his arms the first time.

He couldn’t handle it again. Not for real. Not with Sasha looking at him the same way, frightened and unsure of what was happening.

“Please…” Nathan pleaded, though his gaze remained on Sasha. “Leave him alone. I’m here. I’ll talk.” He turned back to her finally as he held onto Sasha tighter. “Whatever you want. Just stop .”

“Ah!” Jim cried.

Nathan’s head whipped to his brother still against the wall. The sidhe had increased the pain for him as well, killing them both from within their bodies where Nathan had no control.

“N-Nathan…” Sasha croaked in Nathan’s arms. His eyes were red but they were faded when Nathan looked down, caught between brother and friend, neither of which he could do anything to save.

“No…no, just…just stop. Whatever you want. Whatever you want . Just leave them alone. You want me, you have me. You can fucking take me right now, just stop !” If it would save them then he would gladly go with her into the Veil that very moment.

“Well…I don’t think we need to go that far.”

Nathan was startled at the sudden gasp, followed by sharp, ragged breaths from Sasha.

Just as suddenly there was a thud as Jim fell to the floor.

Nathan looked and saw his brother coughing into the carpet, shaking and sucking down air.

He had been released. The pain was gone; Nathan could see the relief on Jim’s face.

When he looked down at Sasha who he was still holding tightly in his arms, he saw the same; whatever she had been doing to him was over.

Neither of them looked to Nathan gratefully, but with horror, not wanting to know what the price of their lives would cost.

“You’re not coming to the Veil yet, Nathan.

Not yet. But honestly, you people wonder why I use such tactics.

” She moved to the cushy chair across from the sofa so that she was still facing them.

As she sat down, the same ripple as before moved across her form and by the time she was seated, lifting a leg to rest one ankle on the opposing thigh, she was the male version again in that nice black suit.

“If you don’t mind. I prefer to sit this way and it just isn’t lady-like in a dress. ”

Jim was already making his way over to them, slow and stumbling. Nathan helped Sasha to his feet and then turned to the sidhe. He wasn’t going to give either of the others the chance to scold him with their eyes.

“Come,” the sidhe said, gesturing to the empty sofa. “Let’s chat. Of course the others can join us. I understand how impossible it is for you to do anything without each other these days.”

“So…you actually want to talk? Why? If you can take me right now, why not just do it?” Nathan moved to the sofa as asked, but sat down cautiously, taking the middle since he knew some deep-seated sense of over-protectiveness in both Jim and Sasha would make them want to sit on either side of him. They did.

“Just like that?” the sidhe said with a touch of mocking. “And I thought you were so adamant to get out of our contract. What happened to all that bravado, hmm?”

Nathan’s fists clenched tight. “Dude, are you trying to drive me crazy? Two seconds ago you were torturing my friends to get me to swear I’d behave. Just what the hell do you want?”

If possible, the grin on the sidhe’s face stretched wider. His eyes were red on black again. Nathan didn’t know which pair he hated more. “Just because I want obedience doesn’t mean I don’t have a proposition for you.”

“What?” It was Sasha who spoke, not having said more than a handful of words since the contract holder appeared. He was still shaky, more so than Jim.

“Don’t you know?” the sidhe sneered at him. “Half-breed or not it should be common knowledge to you that there is no way out of a contract once one has been made. But, well…there is one way out.” He turned back to Nathan.

Nathan knew this was a trick, that he was somehow being set up even before any terms were spoken, but that couldn’t stay his tongue. “You’re offering me a way out?”

“Oh, there’s no way to break our contract. If you renege on your end, I’m in my rights to take James, and we both know you don’t want that. Renegotiation , on the other hand…”

“At what cost?” Jim asked. “Renegotiate for what?”

“Normally, I would ask that others be silent in this kind of meeting,” the sidhe replied with a sharp look at Jim. “But given that you’ll be necessary to carry out my wishes, I’m sure Nathan will want your input before making his decision.”

“You can’t have Jim,” Nathan said.

It was almost funny to see red on black eyes roll.

“Didn’t I just say that? You can’t sell back the soul that was bought in the first place, and I know you wouldn’t agree to it anyway.

Do try to keep up. I’m talking about a task.

The rest of the deal remains. Jim stays alive and here in the mortal plane unless he foils that by his own means.

And you belong to me once the time on your bounty is up.

Unless…you do me this small favor. At the rate you’ve been going I’m sure it will be no problem for such… apt seals.”

Before Nathan could say, as he seemed to say so often these days, that they weren’t all seals, Jim spoke up.

“You need us… Why else would you even ask or offer this?”

“Do not presume to think you hold any power over me, boy,” the sidhe snapped.

Even Nathan felt the rise in dark energy.

Then the sidhe smiled again. “I simply don’t want to waste the effort.

It’s become a nuisance, you see. All these ungrateful wretches sneaking across from the Veil.

And now we have all these dark sidhe out running amuck without purpose.

It…disturbs me at their lack of vision. I would like you to remedy that for me. ”

Nathan scooted to the edge of the sofa. “You want Jim to step up and be the boy king, is that it? No fucking way. I’ll take my chances in the Veil before I’ll allow that.”

“ Nathan ,” Jim broke in.

“Jim, shut up.”

“But—”

“Both of you could shut up, if you don’t mind,” the sidhe said with a wave of his hand, and Nathan found in that moment that he couldn’t speak.

Neither, it seemed, could Jim. “Entertaining as that might be, no, I do not want Jim to gather up his dark brethren and lead them anywhere or to do anything.” He looked very steadily at Jim and Nathan in turn before saying, “What I do want is for you to send them back where they belong. All of them. If you can capture and return all of the remaining dark sidhe that have escaped the Veil before your time is up, Nathan…I’ll call off the bounty and we’ll call it even.

” He situated himself in the chair again, comfortable, confident. “Sound fair?”

“You want us to send all the dark sidhe back to the Veil?” Sasha asked, apparently still able to speak. “You, a powerful dark sidhe lord, want us to save everyone from your own kind’s menace? No offence but…you gotta be fucking kidding me.”

Nathan would have snorted if the sidhe had returned his ability to speak. He was also a little worried that the contract holder would snap at Sasha again or worse. He didn’t, but he did turn rather annoyed eyes on the redhead.

“You know…I never planned for you. That bothered me originally. But then I saw the potential of your presence. You see, you make this a team instead of a duo. You make them stronger than they are alone. That will be very useful in the future… But until that time comes you’re still a bit of a nuisance and as dense as these two.

Contrary to what you might think I do not revel in chaos.

I find that a well carried out plan, a purpose, is much more lasting and effective than sheer carnage. Call me…” he shrugged, “ Lawful Evil.”