Page 58

My eyes widened as Cyn slapped his hand over Zeke’s mouth.

That wasn’t the first time someone had referenced blood and Cyn. Part of me wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but the more they described Zeke’s abilities, the more he sounded like an incubus. I had to know.

“Is a Vithrelas an incubus? I mean, what we know as demons are actually infernals… is this another case of humans using the wrong word?”

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Incubus?”

“In stories, humans talk about a demon called an incubus—or succubus for female versions. They feed on sexual dreams.”

The guys exchanged a look.

“You’re not far off, but as I said, it’s not always sexual,” Ezra said. “While he can, he doesn’t typically put others to sleep.”

“But I can dreamwalk.”

I looked at Zeke as he shrugged. “I don’t do it, though. I don’t have a reason to invade someone’s dreams. Other Vithrelas will invade dreams to learn more about someone or live through them.” He hugged himself, scratching his shoulder. “Like in your incubus stories, we can feed on the emotions of the dreamer. But like I said, I don’t do it. I’ve never been comfortable with it. It’s private.”

Cyn set his drink aside. “So, what other rules do you have?”

I spent the next hour going over how things worked in my home.

I told them about my neighbors, my work schedule I’d post on the fridge, and that I expected them to share the chores. I refused to clean up after four men.

Zeke didn’t like the rule about my bed being off-limits.

Part of me almost left that rule out, remembering how nice it felt with him next to me. But I couldn’t get close to them. They were demons, not humans. I needed to remember that.

I programmed their numbers into my phone, and they did the same. I hadn’t considered their need for a phone, but when Ezra explained it’d make it easier to reach each other if one of them got summoned somewhere else on Earth again, I understood. They’d said Elyrdin phones didn’t work on Earth.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around a demonic world with the modern conveniences of Earth.

Cyn didn’t cause problems the rest of the evening, but I remained cautious. Given his previous behavior, it wouldn’t surprise me if he snapped my neck if he decided I was more threat than help.

I needed to stay one step ahead if I wanted to survive living with demons—even if all I had to work with were basic house rules, boundaries, and stubborn optimism.

14

GOODBYE

RAE

The day I’d dreaded for two weeks arrived with a flurry of Patricia’s complaints. From four in the morning until I left the house, my phone rang nonstop. The calls only stopped because I turned my phone off. I couldn’t handle Patricia’s unrelenting rants about Grandma’s death and funeral inconveniencing her.

I didn’t realize the depth of Patricia’s hatred for Grandma until now, and it made me sick to my stomach. Though maybe I should’ve seen it sooner. Patricia always resented Mom’s bond with Grandma—crying favoritism since Patricia was adopted and Mom wasn’t.

Zeke wanted to go with me so I wouldn’t be alone, but I needed the drive in silence to get my head straight.

The guys’ thorough invasion of my home left me with little time to process my grief. Part of me welcomed their distraction, but another part knew I needed to face my feelings.

I didn’t know what they did while I was at work or what progress—if any—they’d made toward getting home. I didn’t ask, and they didn’t offer.

“Raelynn,” Patricia snapped.

I looked away from Tim’s brand-new town car that he probably purchased with money from Grandma’s estate as the pastor motioned for everyone to gather at the spot where I’d say my last goodbye.

Patricia stooped to whisper-yell at me as we walked. “Stop daydreaming and don’t embarrass me. And fix your dress, it’s too short.”

I glanced down at my knee-length black dress as we took our places closest to the casket, accepting the simple red roses from the pastor’s wife. I couldn’t muster the energy to argue.