Maddie started to agree when a knock interrupted them. One of Taras’s lion warriors poked his head in. “Your presence is requested downstairs, ladies. We may have a development you’ll want to hear.”
Lola and Maddie exchanged excited looks and hurried after him. Perhaps their frustrating research session was about to pay off. They followed the warrior to a cozy sitting room where Taras and Lyra were waiting. Lola’s gaze zeroed in on the unfamiliar man standing by the cold fireplace, his stance tense.
Though dressed in casual human clothes, she instinctively knew he was a supernatural being from the inhuman beauty, contained power in his muscular frame, and unusual purple eyes. Ridiculously lush, dark hair brushed the collar of his leather jacket. Yup, he was way too handsome to be human. But he wasn’t a shifter. Lola felt like her beast would know if he was something like her.
When those uncanny eyes fixed on Lola, she tensed. Every protective beastly instinct flared to life. There was an undeniable connection between them, as if electricity arced across the space separating them.WTH, Lola Leo!she chastised herself. She shook herself mentally.Down, girl. You’re mated, remember?
Taras cleared his throat pointedly. “Lola, Maddie, this is Raphael. He has offered information that may prove useful in the hunt for Azure.”
The stranger inclined his head politely, though his piercing gaze never left Lola’s face. “A pleasure to meet you both. Nico speaks highly of you.” His voice was smooth and cultured. It flowed over her like warm honey.
Get it together.Beside her, Maddie made a small sound, no doubt picking up on the weird tension. Lola shifted uncomfortably under the newcomer’s intense stare. Something about Raphael set her inner lioness on edge. “What information do you have regarding Azure?”
The man’s full lips quirked. “Straight to business. I can appreciate an efficient female.”
His velvety voice sent an uneasy tingle down her spine. Lola frowned, trying to place what exactly was setting off alarm bells.
As if reading her thoughts, he said, “Forgive my poor manners. Despite Taras’s introduction, it’s rude not to greet you myself.” He bowed slightly. “I’m Raphael, an ally of Nico’s, from the Kingdom of Chaos.” He moved with a fluid grace to perch on the settee’s armrest. His posture was relaxed, though hissharp eyes continued assessing her reactions. Lola had to resist the urge to bare her teeth at him. Her unease deepened. The Kingdom of Chaos was still a mystery to her, and after meeting Nico, the Shaman that represented them, she wasn’t inclined to trust anyone affiliated with the kingdom.
Seeing her guarded expression, Raphael continued, “I’m an incubus demon, not a shifter like yourselves.” His grin turned razor sharp. “We demons tend to make others … uncomfortable.”
Lola stiffened. No wonder her beast disliked him on instinct. Supernatural creatures like incubi fed off sexual energy, or at least that’s what all her paranormal-fiction books depicted. She angled herself subtly in front of Maddie.
“If you have information on Azure, let’s hear it,” she said coolly, suddenly eager to get out of his presence, despite the part of her that was filled with questions.Curiosity killed the cat, Lo.And that thought made her think of Dog,hercat. She missed his grumpy self. Lola would have to send a text to her mom to check up on them and reassure them again that they don’t need to send out a search party.
“Don’t play games, Demon,” Taras warned, his eyes narrowing and taking on the shape of a lion’s.
Amusement sparked in Raphael’s purple eyes. “Apologies. Some old habits are difficult to break.”
“Do better.” Somehow Lyra’s soft, kind voice seemed even more threatening than Taras’s louder, sterner tone.
Raphael inclined his head to the Prima. “Of course. I recently learned Azure has been seen at an old plantation deep in the bayous.”
Lola exchanged a look with Maddie. That could be a promising lead on the voodoo priestess they sought. If a voodoo priestess was going to live anywhere, surely it would be in a swamp.
“How did you come by this information?” Taras’s eyes narrowed a bit.
Raphael shrugged, and his eyes held a mischievous gleam. “Demons talk … or brag, rather. A little scratch demon got so excited that he actually saw the snake king in the flesh. So, of course, he had to tell everyone he came into contact with.”
“Scratch demon?” Lola asked. She shouldn’t be curious, but come on. How can shenotask about a scratch demon?
Raphael’s smile turned sly. “You ever get an itch for something youknowyou shouldn’t try, or do, or say, or want, etc.? You can bet that a scratch demon is whispering in your ear, encouraging you to scratch that itch. Even if it is to your detriment.Especiallyif it’s to your detriment.”
“Snap.” Lola breathed out. “That’s creepy as all hell.”
“You should see what they look like.” Raphael visibly cringed.
“Moving on from creepy scratch demons, can you take us there?” Maddie asked eagerly. “To where the snake king was seen?”
Raphael’s gaze turned predatory. “I could arrange it, Lovely.”
Lola’s skin crawled, and she moved further in front of her friend. “Why would a demon want to help us? From all my research?—”
Maddie snorted at her words, no doubt because her “research” was simply bookshelves full of YA fiction novels.
Lola cleared her throat. “From all my research, incubus demons aren’t to be trusted. And demons, as far as I know, are like, burn-in-hell kind of bad.”
“Perhaps you’ve been researching in the wrong places.” Humor shone on Raphael’s too-handsome-face.
