“What kind of Demon?” Once again I get the impression Areyna is cut off from her emotions. I look from her to Rourke, then back again and it hits me, “You’re like me. I mean, I’m like you. Doesn’t matter,” I wave my hand through the air in a cutting motion, “She’s going to break if you keep suppressing her emotions.” I warn.
“Does that mean Remmie is a demon/vampire hybrid?” Areyna asks, ignoring everything else I’ve said.
“He’s an Empath Incubi by the feel of him. Did you not know what you were?” Rourke asks, facing me. I don’t know what to say, so I simply shake my head. After all these years trying to figure it out, this guy comes along and just says it out of the blue like that?
It makes the discovery feel anticlimactic to say the least.
“Aren’t Incubi, sex demons?” Areyna asks, startling me out of my thoughts. I really want to know what she’s thinking right now, but I haven’t figured out the mind speaking thing yet. Every time I’ve tried, I just end up looking like I’m constipated according to Derrin, and with a splitting headache.
Rourke looks at Areyna, then back to me as though wondering the same thing I was. He pauses for an uncomfortable moment before saying, “Emotional demons, the sex thing is a myth. Well kind of. Incubi feed off emotional energy, the stronger the emotions, the fuller we feel. I’m not sure what a hybrid will feed off, I’ve never met one before.” He’s lying, but I’m not sure which part is the lie. Rourke studies my face for a moment before asking, “Do you know who your father is?”
“How do you know the Incubi part comes from my father?” I ask, even though what I really want to ask him is what lie did he just tell.
“Because there are no Succubi left. As a species we are dying. It’s interesting that you survived, the Incubi Elders have been experimenting for decades trying to find a way to continue the species.” He cocks his head to the side and watches Areyna for several moments, she yawns and seems to droop in her chair. His concern for her worries me, he’s once again showing signs of being more invested in her than a guard should be beyond keeping her safe.
“Well, turns out all you needed was a vampire female.” I deadpan feeling uncomfortable with this line of discussion and the way he’s hovering around my girl.
“Yes, you’re right, this is an uncomfortable topic. Best we leave things here for tonight.” Rourke grabs Areyna’s arm, gently helping her to her feet. “How about we get you some rest and pick things back up in the morning.” He wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her far too close to his side.
“No.” The word slips out of my mouth before I can stop myself. “I think Torren should take her to her room. I’d like to talk to you more about what you think I am.” I don’t really want to discuss that thought, but if it stops him from going into Areyna’s bedroom with her, then I’ll discuss it until my tongue falls out.
The moment it’s just Rourke and I in the kitchen, I ask him the question that I think is the most important, “How common are hybrids with demons?”
“Demon hybrids are actually more common than any other breed.” He stops and shakes his head, “Used to be more common. With no Succubi our numbers have dwindled, but the men who have managed to procreate have done so with other breeds; usually Vampires or Seelie.” The way he says Seelie makes me raise my brow. He has an emotional connection to Seelies that he’s trying to hide. Makes me wonder if he knows of another hybrid, a seelie hybrid.
“So what exactly am I then? I know you said Incubi, but does that mean I’m going to crave sex when I come into maturity?” I fire the next question, not giving him a chance to actually answer me, “What is the age of maturity for an Incubi?”
“Incubi feed off emotions, so yes, there might be times when your body requires sex to sustain itself, but that won’t be the only emotion you’ll hunger for. Think of emotional energy like food. Sexual energy is like meat, you could live off it, but it wouldn’t be very healthy. You’ll need vegetables, grains, dairy and sweets once in a while to maintain a balanced diet. Some Incubi find it easier to feed off the emotions of other people every day, taking in a little anger, sadness, happiness and sexual energy to keep them feeling balanced and healthy.” He stops talking and sighs, “Honestly, the more people you feed off, the more variety you get, so most Incubi have large households or families.”
I open my mouth to repeat the other question when he doesn’t answer it straight away, but he holds his hand up for me to remain silent, “Incubi reach maturity any time between sixteen and twenty, but it’s unknown exactly when hybrids mature. There aren’t many and the ones there are have shown signs of maturing their Incubus side around the same as their other Breed.”
“So for a Vampire, maturity could be anywhere between twelve and eighteen?” I ask to confirm my suspicions. At his nod, I ask the only other question I have for now, “What does it feel like when you feed off others emotions?” I can feel my face heating. Embarrassment is not an emotion I’m used to, but with Areyna being so close, I’m feeling it now.
“It feels like you’re drowning and flying at the same time. Really strong emotions can feel like a punch to the gut at first, but after a few seconds they’ll feel like getting high on drugs.” Rourke tilts his head to the side as though listening to something, then turns his odd green and blue eyes back to me, “You’ve started feeling emotions, haven’t you?”
I’m tempted to deny it, but he’s right, so I nod my head slightly.
“It won’t be long before you feel everything.” He says, then adds, “Love hits us like a freight train. It’ll feel like being on a rollercoaster ride and for a while the emotions of the person you feed off will feel like your own. When you come into that aspect of your powers, you’ll need to learn to control them as quickly as possible. Most of our kind are kept away from others until they reach maturity for that reason alone.”
“Do you mean feeding off other people’s love or falling in love?”He’d better not be referring to falling in love with Areyna, she’s not his. I won’t let him take her from me.I shake my head, trying to focus back on his answer.
“…when we feel love it’s the most amazing feeling, like being high. It’s something that just needs to be felt to understand.”
Clearly I missed something of this conversation cause I still can’t tell if other’s or his own he’s talking about.
“You know Incubi aren’t the only Breed that feel others emotions, some Mere-folk have similar abilities. Take the Sirens as an example, they can manipulate other people’s emotions and some of them have developed a taste for them. There was this one Siren that was arrested by the Council about twenty years ago because he used his emotional manipulation to control one of the Shifter Alphas. Of course he was put to death, but it’s a good example.”
I’m overloading on information, but my worst fear has been confirmed. What I feel when I’m around Areyna, may not be my own emotions after all. With a brief thanks for the information, I get up from the table and head up the stairs in search of a quiet place to think.
NINETEEN
Areyna
Rourke was right,it was far easier facing everyone with my emotions off than it would have been the way I was feeling in the car. The only problem is that the moment I move away from him, the emotions all come crashing back in on me. He warned me that might happen, but I chose to take the risk anyway. Anything was better than storming in here and letting them all have a piece of my anger. I can’t believe how they’ve all lied and manipulated me. I thought they were my friends. No, that’s not right. I thought they were more than that.
Derrin, Torren and Remmie are the only ones who haven’t manipulated me, but some of them have still lied. “I don’t want to be alone; will you stay with me?” I ask Derrin the second we’re alone in the hallway.
He hesitates, which only makes me feel worse. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”