Chasing Secrets - Jessica Sorensen Page 0,21

…” I shake my head.

Focus, Harlynn, focus.

I look at Asher. “How are we supposed to be safe here if a succubus is running this place? Aren’t they supposed to be really tricky and manipulative?” They also radiate sexual energy, but I’m not about to say that aloud. Although, it does sort of explain why she didn’t swoon at the sight of Asher’s charming smile. Then again, I’ve never been one to swoon, either.

A thought sort of bitch-smacks me out of nowhere.

Do I have succubus blood in me?

No, there’s no way that could be true. But then I think about all the kissing I’ve been doing and …

I gulp. What if I do?

“They’re very tricky and manipulative,” Asher grumbles as he strides over to the bar in the corner of the room. “But their powers mostly lie in sexual energy, so most of us shouldn’t have a problem.” As he grabs a bottle from the shelf, his gaze floats in Maxton’s direction.

I honestly don’t know what’s going on at this point, why the succubus energy won’t affect the guys, but Maxton apparently.

“She won’t affect me,” Maxton assures Asher as he unzips his hoodie.

Asher cocks a brow at him as he grabs a bottle filled with ruby red liquid from off the shelf. “How can you be sure she won’t?”

“How can you be so sure she won’t affect you?” Maxton throws back at him as he takes off his hoodie and drapes it on the back of a chair.

Asher carries his gaze, his eyes clouding with a storm. But he doesn’t utter a word, just stares at his brother.

East sinks onto the foot of the bed, his gaze bouncing back and forth between the two brothers. “Here’s a thought,” he says. “Instead of trying to communicate via telepathically, which we all know you can’t do, why not just talk about your feelings aloud?”

Asher’s gaze cuts to East. “What feelings?”

East looks at him insinuatingly without uttering a word.

“Are you guys talking telepathically?” I finally ask, confused. “Because you keep saying you can’t, but either you were lying or just really like staring at each other.” Not that I can blame them. They’re all super pretty to look at.

“No,” East answers, carrying Asher’s gaze for a moment before focusing on me. “We’re using eye language.” He smirks

“You’re such a freak,” I say, unable to keep the smile off my face.

He grins back at me. “And you are by far the prettiest creature I’ve ever seen.”

I roll my eyes again, a comeback tickling at my tongue, but Asher speaks first.

“Everyone should be fine around the succubus,” he states as he pours the rub liquid into a glass. “However, I’m really curious about what this event is that’s taking place in the basement. We should probably try to find out what it is.”

“Don’t we have more important things to worry about?” Arrow reclines back in the chair he’s sitting in. “Like finding an energy reader?”

Asher takes a sip of his drink. “Well, we’re not going to get anywhere with that until we make some acquaintances here. And according to Eva—the succubus at the front counter—almost all of the creatures in this town are attending the event, so that might be where we have to start.”

“Yeah, we knew about the event already,” East tells him. “Our little thief could hear your entire conversation.”

Curiosity sparkles in Asher’s eyes as he looks at me. “You could hear past the silence spell this place has on it? That’s … interesting.”

“It definitely is,” East agrees, looking at me. “Which makes me even more eager to find out what you are and what you can do.”

“You don’t think I have succubus in me, do you?” I find myself asking.

As soon as the words leave my lips, I want to retract them, mostly because Asher is mid-sip and ends up spitting his drink out all over the floor.

“What?” he asks through a fit of coughing. “Why the hell would you think that?”

All their jaws are practically hanging to their knees. Well, except for Maxton, who just looks slightly amused.

I shrug. “Because of some stuff that’s happened … between … us.” Gods, why did I have to open my mouth? And, even worse, my cheeks are on fire.

East is struggling not to laugh. “I assure you, little mouse, that if you had even a drop of succubus blood in you, you wouldn’t be able to blush like that.”

Well, at least one good thing came out of my stupid inability not to get embarrassed at