I don’t know why,” she said.
“Hmm, I think you do know why,” Gaston said irritably. “We have blood in the fridge upstairs and come to think of it, it’s past dinnertime.”
“After this,” Billie said.
“No, no, a newly minted vampire can’t put off a meal. As your sire I must insist. Come on.” Gaston poked and prodded her to the stairs while she cursed at him, but I think she was secretly pleased that he didn’t want her checking out the rest of us.
“I’m sorry, Jasper,” Helena said. “We’re embarrassing you. Forget we’re here.”
“I think you’re just getting me back for all the time we embarrassed you,” I said wryly. “But I’m just here to get the job done.” I forced my attention away from their teasing and concentrated on Graham’s bones again. They were knit back together, but the connection was weak, and the surrounding flesh was still agitated.
I should probably try to reach for the magic of Wyrd, I thought. That restores balance. That’s what he really needs here. But I’ve never even met a faery before, so I’m not sure what that feels like.
I tried it anyway. I didn’t want to mess this up; I was really hoping I could pull off something impressive. But I wouldn’t let pride keep me from trying.
When I reached for the unknown magic, for the first few seconds, I only felt my usual power. It wasn’t much. The chaotic magic of Sinistral wasn’t suited to healing at all, but I’d learned to bend it to my needs a little, the way sometimes you didn’t have the right tool for the job so you just used duct tape and pliers.
And then I felt it. The world opened up to me. I’m sure to a real wizard, it was only a tiny piece of what was possible, but it was the first time I’d ever experienced this feeling. Like there was a stream of magic that had endless potential and I could just reach for it and take a drink, as long as I could keep it cupped in my hand long enough.
I drew in a thread of calm, slow magic and worked it into Graham’s arms with my fingertips. In that moment I was lost in the magic and hardly noticed Graham or the audience, but then the magical flow slowed down as I felt Graham’s bones strengthen and I realized Graham was hunching over, letting out the barest groan of pleasure.
Then I stepped back and he jumped off the chair.
It was now obvious to everyone that Graham had a raging hard-on. And seeing that was turning me on, against my will, maybe because Helena was watching us and looking increasingly flushed and hot.
“It’s thanks to that undine,” he said. “She tried to do things to me and I refused them but…”
“Oh, for the love,” Byron said. “Are all of you really going to bluster and blush around because you’re worried you will look gay? Graham, you are an incubus. Act like one. Your appeal might be stronger to women but it’s also quite unlimited. Every lonely retiree on this street is probably dreaming about us tonight already and thank god there are no tweens living around here because that’s where it gets awkward. And as for Jasper and Jake, the mere presence of two incubi releasing sexual energy all the time paired with a woman you were already attracted to? Naturally, it has an effect. I didn’t want to bring it up too soon, but the four of us living together all the time is going to play with your heads, if you aren’t used to having an incubus around. To share a lover is to our benefit, because we will feed off of all three of you.”
“I don’t want to be fed on!” Jake said.
“‘Feed’ is just a word,” Byron said. “Maybe not the best word. It implies a finite supply. But incubi feed on sexual attraction and satisfaction, and the more you get, the more you want, and the more you have. So there is really not much downside for anyone.”
“Unless we actually want to get something done around here,” Helena said, but she was looking at us with an eager gleam in her eye.
Suddenly I wanted her so badly I could hardly contain myself.
“So that’s how it is,” Graham said softly. “You’re right, Byron. My patterns of thinking are still stuck in my old life, but what I really want is…very different. Jasper, I want to thank you first.