Free Shadows of Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase Page B

his breath sending a tantalizing sensation straight to my toes. “No, Jade,” he said in his sexiest voice, the one he usually reserved for the bedroom. “Not a demon. An incubus.”

Chapter 7
    The world stopped. Blood rushed to my ears and everything went hot, then cold. Kane’s warm breath sent shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes and fought against the unwanted and untimely desire claiming me. Kane’s touch was too much and my response entirely too inappropriate.
    “Let her go, Kane,” the older witch commanded.
    Kane’s grip tightened around me, and Lord help me, I could feel his arousal at my back.
    “Let go,” I said in a harsh whisper, twisting my head to stare up at him.
    His irises flashed from that crimson back to deep chocolate and then shock flashed through his wide eyes. He released me and jumped back, rubbing a hand down his face. “What the hell just happened?”
    I gaped at him, totally at a loss for words. Had he really said incubus?
    “You’re here to figure out how to rescue Matisse, are you not?” Dayla said coolly.
    “I…” Damn if I couldn’t get any words out.
    Kane straightened. “Why did I say I’m an incubus?” His tone was clipped, dangerous. And deeper than usual.
    A tremor of fear took up residence in my gut. His eyes had gone back to their normal color, but there was something…different about him. He seemed taller somehow. More alluring in a way that made me want to reach out and touch him. Almost as if I craved the feel of his skin. My neck started to tingle where I’d felt his breath.
    “It was not my wish to force this on you,” Dayla continued in her pleasant tone. “I was afraid if you’d been given a choice, you would’ve walked out, and I couldn’t let that happen. Matisse is my niece. Losing her is not an option.”
    “Wait just a goddamned minute,” I yelled, totally losing my cool. “We came to you because we want to help her. Not so you could put a dangerous spell on Kane and treat us with zero respect. How dare you do this? I demand you reverse it right this instant!”
    “Zero respect?” Dayla got to her feet and stalked over to me, stopping only when she was invading my personal space. “I just unlocked a very powerful gift in your mate that will likely be the only thing that will help you bring Matisse home. And if I’ve been less than welcoming, it’s because your kind generally do not care for our form of magic.”
    Unlocked a gift . She’d used magic, but it wasn’t a spell. It was permanent. My mouth went dry. Kane was an incubus. What would that mean for us? I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the fact that I was painfully aware of Kane’s proximity. It was as if his physical presence called to me. I cleared my throat, focusing on the other bit of information she’d just given me. “What kind of magic is that?”
    She glanced once at Fiona. Her daughter nodded, answering the unspoken question. Dayla fixed me with an unapologetic stare. “We are sex witches.”
    I raised an eyebrow as if to say so what?
    She pursed her lips. “That doesn’t bother you?”
    I shrugged. No wonder they knew about dreamwalkers. Being sex witches and all. This type of lore would be strong in their family line.
    Kane wrapped his hand around mine. A tingle started in my fingertips and crawled lazily up my arm. Warmth spread through me and I shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed that Kane’s presence was having such an effect on me.
    Dayla lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Most witches think using sex to gain power is wrong.”
    She’d said it as a statement, but the way she was looking at me, it was clear she wanted to know what I thought. “Who am I to say if it’s wrong? As long as your sex partners are—” I cleared my throat in an effort to keep my emotions in check. “As long as your partners are willing and are aware of any consequences, I don’t see how it’s any of my business.”
    Dayla studied me and then slowly her