My gaze slid over his tattoos, the wild swirls and patterns covering his muscular forearms.
A mournful thought nagged at the back of my mind. I never did find out what Orion’s serpent tattoo was about, and at this point, I doubted I ever would.
In front of me, Kas stopped walking abruptly, and I nearly bumped into him. His gaze was on something over my head, and shadows slid through his golden eyes. I looked up, and in the next heartbeat, I knew exactly why.
Orion’s tantalizing magic sang over my skin, and I spun around.
Here was the king, draped in shadows, the wind toying with his silver hair. “Thank you for escorting our shadow scion home, but I will take it from here.” Underneath his smooth, velvety voice, I heard a distinctly sharp edge. He prowled closer and rested his hand on my waist.
To my surprise, I heard the sound of Kas and Legion growling behind me, and tension crackled the air.
6
ROWAN
I stared up at Orion, who was looking over my head at the two other demons. The entire time I’d been fighting him, his eyes had remained pale blue. Only now, when we were standing by the side of a river without a single hint of a threat, did they darken to black.
Orion’s gaze slid from Kas to Legion like he was about to murder them both. “As king,” he said quietly, “it is my job to keep the shadow scion safe.”
“From whom, exactly?” asked Kas.
Orion’s hand tightened on my waist. Maybe it was time for me to stop this macho display of possessiveness before my new friends ended up as piles of ash on the stones.
“Okay, everyone—” I began.
A flash of hot magic interrupted me, searing the air. Heat slid through my blood, and I stumbled back from the force of Orion’s magic.
For one horrible moment, I was certain that Orion had just incinerated everyone around us until I realized I’d been thrust back into Kas’s powerful chest.
When I turned to look at the others, I found them staring, dazed and open-mouthed. Shai swayed, a little smile playing on her lips.
I touched her arm. “Shai?”
Ignoring me, she stepped closer to Orion, fluttering her eyelashes. She reached out, touching his chest. “Your Majesty! Do you work out?”
With a low growl, Legion’s hand snapped out, and he grabbed Shai’s bicep, then spun her around to face him. “Why don’t you forget him and show me your room?”
She bit her lip, staring dreamily into Legion’s face.
My jaw dropped in disbelief as I realized what he’d done. Orion had slammed them with his incubus magic, and now they were all lust drunk. Somewhere deep down, I had this power, too. I’d just never learned to use it—nor would I ever use it on my friends, because what the hell?
When I caught Kas’s gaze, the look he was giving me was searing, carnal, his eyes dark as jet. His gaze shamelessly swept down to take in every inch of me. “Rowan.” His voice came out as a deep, husky rumble.
In a rush of shadows, Orion swept in front of me and gently wrapped his fingers around Kas’s throat. “I suggest you find someone else for your attention.”
Kas swayed on his feet for a moment, staring into Orion’s eyes in a stupor. He sighed deeply, then repeated, “Find someone else.”
“Orion. Stop fucking with them,” I snapped. “This is why everyone hates the Lilu.”
I could feel the effects of his lust magic, too—a warmth that coiled tight in my core, the sensitivity of my skin—but as a succubus, I had more control over myself.
Kas turned away from him, stalking back to the festival. I felt a twinge of disappointment. It would actually be nice to have a group of friends for once.
I cut Orion a sharp look. “This is a little stalkerish, don’t you think? Following me and chasing off my new friends?”
He cocked his head. “Everyone hates our kind. We are the last two left, and I’m not letting anything happen to you. Besides, I need to show you to your new room.”
“You’re not letting anything happen to me?” I started walking quickly, even though I had no idea where my new room was. “Not long ago, you kicked me out of the city and left me to fend for myself, with no magic, surrounded by demon hunters who want me dead. And I’m supposed to suddenly believe you care about my safety?”
“I didn’t leave you,” he said smoothly. “I had guards watching over you. First in the hotel, then in Shai’s aunt’s house.”
I swallowed hard. “Guards?”
“Anna, with the pink hair. And her cat, Taffy. I thought you would have noticed them.”