Page 19

CHAPTER 19

P an wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but Noah ended up in the front of the car with the map and Liam while he was stuck in the back with Web. Web wanted to know everything about incubi, especially how they fed. Having been at numerous orgies with an incubus or three, they were easy questions to answer.

Web’s obvious interest, from the way he looked at him, to the way he angled his body, was flattering, but was not doing anything for him physically, or magically. The latter was disappointing as he’d been hoping Noah’s witch friends might give him a little boost.

Web’s fingertips brushed over his hand. If he did that one more time, Pan was going to attempt to impale him on his curly little horns. It would be unsuccessful but entertaining to listen as Web squealed and scrambled to escape the moving car.

Pan glanced at Noah, but he was too busy reading the map to notice.

Or maybe he didn’t care.

He didn’t like that thought at all. He wanted Noah to care for the simple reason that if he didn’t, he may not want to help with the magic issue.

“We get together every full moon to celebrate…would you be interested in joining us?” Web murmured.

“That depends on what you do,” Pan said, trying to be both polite and disinterested at the same time. He needed more than a kiss to access enough magic to turn Web into a spider, and a waste of what little magic he managed to grab hold of. However, it would be immensely satisfying.

Noah had left out a few things about his friends, such as the way he and Liam had once been lovers. Not that Pan was jealous. He’d forgotten the names of most of his lovers over the centuries, and that didn’t include worshippers. But Web had really wanted him to know that detail.

Noah glanced back at him, his gaze flicking to Web, who had his arm on the back of the seat, and then to Pan. “Drumming, chanting, and stuff.”

“You should hear Noah sing. We’ve gotten some gigs at festivals,” Liam said. “I drum, and Web plays the cello.”

“I don’t play the cello on full moons,” Web grumbled.

“Is it bad luck?” Pan asked.

The car lurched to a stop.

Liam peered out of the front window. “Guys…I think we might be walking.”

The road they were on wound between two hills. One of those hills was now rubble on the road that would take an ogre days to move.

Pan opened the door and tried to get out. The seatbelt dragged him back. Before he could work it out, Web had undone it for him.

He gave the human a tight smile and indulged in a little pettiness by offering no thanks, then jumped out, glad to be away from him. He pretended to examine the rock fall, though it was impossible to tell if it had happened during the collapse of his world or if it had been caused by a herd of centaurs seeking to protect their territory.

“Do you actually have a plan?” Noah whispered as he moved to stand next to him.

“Aside from roaming the hills to find the dragon? No. Do you?” Do you have a plan to keep Web from trying to glue himself to me?

But he suspected the answer to that question was also no.

“Can you call to her, in Dragon?”

Pan nodded. “Though that will not help if she’s dead.”

“Let’s pretend that she’s alive and injured.” Liam handed Noah one pack and shrugged into the other himself.

Web drew in a breath and closed his eyes as if reaching for magic. “Now we’re out here, we should douse for her. And pray that the spirits who live here will assist.”

Web had the act down, much like the mediums who’d claimed to speak to the dead.

Noah pulled a necklace out from beneath his shirt.

“I’ll do it. You have no connection to this land,” Web said as he pulled his own necklace off. Liam spread the map on the hood of the car, and Noah offered a hand to stop it from fluttering.

“Noah is more accurate,” Liam said, which earned him a scowl from Web.

Noah glanced at Pan with a glint in his green eyes and a curve on his lips that he was starting to enjoy seeing. “Since the dragon is from Tariko, and Pan is one of their gods, we should offer him a prayer, too.”

“Sure.” Web nodded. He held his necklace over the map, eyes closed. “Ancient spirits who roam this land, and Pan from the dragon’s home world, if you can hear us, lead us to her so we may reunite her with her mate.” The pendant, which appeared to be some kind of tiny silver skull, began to spin.

Liam and Noah joined in with the next repetition of the prayer.

The tiniest buzz filled the air. He wanted to lick the magic off Noah’s tongue as fast as it formed. Noah lifted his eyebrows and rather pointedly glanced at the map.

Oh, his eyes must be flickering as his body tried to connect to magic. Pan pretended to study the map, with its different greens and lines.

The pendant made ever wider circles, and Web lowered his hand to a place beyond the hills and forest and in a farming area.

“Hmm. We might need to turn around and go there instead.” Web jabbed at the map.

“Dragons love farms for the easy hunting, but they prefer to live in woods and hills.” Pan looked at Noah, and all he wanted to do was kiss him while the buzz of magic was on his lips. “I want to see what Liam and Noah come up with. Please repeat your chant.”

“What?” Web snapped as if he wasn’t used to being questioned.

That made two of them.

Pan held his gaze until the human blinked. “Where I am from, magic is fickle, and it is often best to seek the wisdom of more than one. I might consult a Strega, as well as a god and also a hunter who can read the track left by prey and predator. Here, I have consulted a map, asked the vampire lord, and now I am asking three witches. My request was not meant to be offensive.” He smiled rather too sweetly, hoping that Web understood that Pan saw straight through his act.

Liam used his car keys to search and came up with a car park further up the blocked road. Web shook his head and sighed as if knowing this wasn’t Liam’s skill.

Noah took off his necklace, a silver chain with silver and turquoise fish hanging from the center. He held it over the map and murmured the prayer along with the others.

Pan bit his lip and curled his toes in the borrowed vampire boots to stop himself from walking around the hood of the car to take what he wanted—needed.

The fish spun in lazy circles, and then the tail began tugging in one direction as if dragging Noah’s hand and expecting him to follow. He did.

Pan exhaled. Now that was a clear magic-led dousing. The craving in his soul intensified. Perhaps this is what incubi felt when they needed to feed. He wanted to lick every drop from Noah’s tongue and breathe the air from his lungs.

His dick hardened and throbbed, and for a couple of heartbeats, he wondered if he had become an incubus in the collapse. Was that even possible? He liked sex, but until today, he had never craved it with every cell in his body.

The fish hit the map. Still in the hills, though near water and a walking track. To be fair to Web, it was at least in that general direction. Though Pan suspected Web was not one for hiking, which is why he’d aimed for the farmland.

Now, he had three different locations to consider, and only one of them was correct. Given how close Liam’s result was to Noah’s, Pan was willing to bet Liam had a touch of magic too, though not enough for him to taste. Or at least not yet. Perhaps there was a way to encourage it?

What was perplexing was the way Liam and Noah seemed to look to Web for guidance for all things magical. When Web should be looking to Noah.

“What now?” Noah asked.

Pan pretended to consider the map, even though he believed Noah had found the dragon’s location. Or at least something that might lead them toward her. “Given that the car park Liam pointed to is closer than the farm Web pointed to, I think it makes sense to go to the car park first and then follow the trail to where Noah pointed. If we haven’t found any Tarikians or dragons, then we will need to backtrack and then drive through the farmlands.”

Web put his fist on his hip. “You’re leaving my location until last?”

“I am. Though if you and Liam want to take the car and go and check out the farms, please do. I advise that you stay away from the dragon if you find her, especially if she’s injured, and call Noah, as I’m the only one who can speak Dragon. I’m also the only one who knows anything about dragons and other Tarikians, so perhaps you want to listen to me.”

There was probably too much of an edge in his voice, given the way Web stepped back. But he still managed to pout as if expecting Pan to apologize.

Web would be waiting a fucking long time. It was lucky Pan had no magic, as he’d have far too much fun unleashing a punishment. Instead, Pan settled for a glare.

Liam folded the map so the relevant part was on top. “I’m going with the dragon whisperer.”

“Dragon whisperer?” He didn’t whisper to dragons. That would involve getting far too close.

“It just means you can talk to them.” Noah slipped his necklace over his head and tucked the fish beneath his shirt. He tilted his head at the boulders blocking the road. “I guess we’re going up and over.”

Pan studied the boulders and nodded, hoping they’d fallen when the earth shook and that they hadn’t been placed by a pissed-off ogre or three and that there wasn’t an armed herd of centaurs waiting for them on the other side. “Looks like it.”

For several heartbeats, they all stood there considering the climb and what might be on the other side.

With a rather dramatic sigh, Web stepped up to the rocks first. “It’s not that bad.”

And with that, he started to climb.

Pan beckoned Noah closer. He obeyed with a smile on his lips, which was rather pleasing. Pan leaned in and kissed him, savoring the leftover prayer. He rocked back and noticed Liam watching.

“Is that dangerous?” Liam asked. “Feeding an incubus?”

“Um…no. Lust is a renewable resource. He’s very energy efficient.” Noah’s cheeks turned pink.

Pan had no idea what those words meant in that order, though it was clearly a good enough answer for Liam as he walked towards the boulders, giving him the chance to kiss Noah again. This time because he wanted to dabble in lust, not magic.