Lola’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe.” She tilted her head as she continued to examine him. Maddie bumped her, and Lola felt as if she’d suddenly woken from a daydream. She shook herself and shifted her eyes to the right.
Taras spoke up, breaking the tension in the room. “We’ll discuss this information with Callon, Roan, and Nico when they return before we take you up on your offer. Thank you for taking your time to come and share the information with us.”
Inclining his head, Raphael turned his unsettling stare on Lyra. As he took her offered hand, his sleeve rode up, revealing strange markings on his wrist. They almost resembled … chains? Lola’s eyes narrowed.What strange tattoos?
“A pleasure, Prima,” Raphael purred over Lyra’s hand.
Lola bristled, ready to forcibly remove him, but Taras intervened, ushering the demon out. She practically vibrated with tension in his wake.
“Well?” Lyra asked mildly once Taras returned. “What do you make of our … guest?”
“He gives me seriously bad vibes,” Lola bit out. “Incubi, in all the paranormal books I’ve read, aren’t exactly known for their altruistic nature. They’re portrayed as mischievous, deceitful, and evil. And he’s buddies with Nico, who I’m pretty sure is insane.”
Taras looked thoughtful. “Those are pretty appropriate descriptions of Raphael’s kind. But our shaman have made the demons less dangerous. And over time, they’ve become a part of the Kingdom of Chaos community.”
“So they didn’t come with you guys from Damaria?” Maddie asked.
“Demons come from one place,” Taras answered. “Hell.”
“Then how’d you guys end up dealing with them?” Lola questioned.
Lyra took a seat on one of the couches and motioned for them to do the same. “You might want to sit down for this.”
Taras took a seat next to his mate, while Lola and Maddie sat on the couch across from them. Lola rubbed her sweaty palmson her jeans as she tried to imagine what Taras could possibly tell them that would shock them at this point.
“Remember how Callon told you our kind came to the human realm?”
Lola nodded at Taras.
“Well…” Taras reached over and took one of Lyra’s hands in his, giving it a visible squeeze. “When our shaman opened the portal that let us through, we weren’t the only thing that came through.”
Maddie sucked in a sharp breath. “You brought demons through your portal?”
Lola leaned forward intently as Taras explained how the demon incursion had happened centuries ago.
“The tear in the veil between worlds weakened the boundaries keeping darker forces contained,” he said grimly. “A horde of vile creatures poured through before we could stop them.”
Lola shuddered at the thought of demons flooding into their realm. “But you managed to contain them eventually, right?”
Taras and Lyra exchanged a look heavy with memory. “Eventually, yes,” Lyra answered gently. “But only after much bloodshed and suffering. They reveled in spreading chaos and tormenting mortals.”
Maddie paled slightly. Lola didn’t blame her. The idea of malicious demons running amok was straight out of a horror movie.
“So how did you get them under control?” Lola pressed. This history was important if they were going to be dealing with creatures like Raphael.
Taras stared into the fire, his eyes distant. “We drove most back through the crumbling veil by strength of arms. But some dug deep, possessing beasts and mortals alike to maskthemselves.” His expression turned bleak. “They are cunning parasites, not easily rooted out.”
Lola frowned. “But Raphael seems sort of... I don’t know, tame, even if he is kinda creepy? If he’s a demon, shouldn’t he be all murdery?”
Lyra smoothed her elegant skirts. “That is thanks to the shaman. Their magic binds the remaining demons, curtailing their power and crueler impulses. Most now reside in the Kingdom of Chaos.”
“So they’re on a supernatural leash,” Maddie said. “That explains Raphael’s funky tattoo—it must be a binding mark.”
“How do you know what a binding mark is?” Lyra’s head tilted curiously.
“Television, Prima.” Maddie winked. “Paranormal shows galore and the old adage that there’s a little bit of truth to all myths.”
Lola turned this over. She still didn’t trust the incubus, but maybe he wasn’t totally evil if his magic was shackled. Though the hungry way he’d looked at Maddie still made her want to claw his eyes out.
