The explanation took the better part of an hour and by the time it was finished, Mrs. Birchwood looked ready to faint from information overload. To her credit though she hadn’t once let go of Tina. Despite her entire world being flipped upside down, protectiveness still shown through her eyes.

It was admirable.

When the blond finally finished and had his staff lead Mrs. Birchwood to a temporary room, I moved off the wall. Time to get the rest of the questions answered.

Before I could move for the door though, the elderly woman breezed over to me. Nothing in her frame hinted at aggression, but I tensed, ready for anything.

Or so I thought.

When wrinkled arms wound around my waist, dragging me into a tight hug, it was all I could do not to flinch back. What was it with people and hugging me today? Did I look like a teddy bear? Maybe someone slapped a ‘hug me’ sign on my back when I wasn’t looking…

I wouldn’t put it past Sera.

The hug continued for a minute longer, my skin all but itching with the urge to run away. From the corner of my eye, I noted the blond’s grimace of sympathy, his hand raising as if to intervene. Before he could step in, Mrs. Birchwood pulled back and spoke.

“Thank you for saving Tina. Words can’t describe what she means to me.”

I didn’t need words; I could see the love burning in her eyes. The pure emotion spoke everything that needed saying. Nodding, I stepped back. “It was my pleasure. I hope you both stay safe.”

The duo left, Tina pausing to get in one last hug. I didn’t bother fighting it, grumbling under my breath about space as she skipped back to her grandmother’s side. Once they were out of sight, I let myself revel in the positive reactions they’d had.

Most prosaics were hostile at best when learning of the magical world and yet she’d remained mostly calm and even hugged me afterward. To be fair I could have done without the hug, but it was better than a blade to the back.

Maybe regular people were becoming more accepting.

Shaking the surprising revelation to the side, I focused on the blond again. I really needed to get his name so I could stop calling him that.

A low rumble pulled me back to the present as he spoke, one of his brows raised. “Speak, you have wished to ask something since we met and I know the discussion with Mrs. Birchwood did not answer it. You need not fear my anger, I shall never be wrathful over a mere question.”

Apparently he’d caught my curiosity. Before I could ask his name though, a far more important question came. “How did you find the kids? I had a seer all but throw me into the right place, but how did you know about that operation?”

He smiled, gesturing to the door. “My people can sense those like us and after my many years walking the Earth I have amassed a wide collection of employees, friends, and contacts of my blood. When we sense one of our own is coming of age, we ensure someone is there to guide them through the process. They also offer a safe haven should it be necessary. Most parents do not take well to their children being supposed ‘demons’, thus the situation can turn pear-shaped at a moment’s notice.”

So someone probably tailed the kids when they realized they were maturing and then reported back when they were kidnapped. It was admirable of him to ensure the kids were protected, especially since he had no relation to them.

The more I learned about him, the more I liked him.

“Good idea on your part, kids shouldn’t have to suffer through the darkest parts of humanity and people fear what they don’t understand. It’s kind of you to offer a safe haven.” If I’d had one of those growing up things might be different now.

The depressing thought petered out as he led me through the door, the low rumble of his voice a far more pleasant thing to focus on. “I am merely doing as anyone should, nothing more and nothing less. Now then, let us be off. We can discuss this further in the car and I promised to show you what indirect feeding is.”

A black sedan waited for us outside and immediately I had to bite back an eye roll. It’s a good thing I knew he wasn’t a bad guy. Between the castle-like house, the sketchy black cars, and the overall air of mystery he had, I would have assumed he was the ultimate comic book villain.

But not once had my instincts sounded off and on top of that, he had Sera’s approval. That was all I needed.

Refocusing on the questions I still had, I prodded. “So someone kidnapped four kids who all have your bloodline? That can’t be a coincidence.”

His smile dropped into a frown, the air of the car turning grim. “I came to the same conclusion. And for it to be people with magic guarding them? It adds suspicion to the fact there was more going on today than just a random kidnapping that accidentally targeted succubi and incubi children.”

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He paused, leaning back on the black leather seats as he stroked a hand across his stubbled jaw. “Your magic makes you immune to my power; perhaps that is the same of all strong ones of your kind. It is possible the mastermind knew this information and thus hired them specifically for that reason. Why else would they hire guards with magical capabilities?”

Most people didn’t know magic existed, so he very well might be right. Why bother paying a magical guard unless you knew that talent was needed? The answer? You don’t.

So whoever we’re up against is smart, has connections to sex demons and the magical world, and on top of that? They had some kind of endgame for this. Which meant it was up to me and my new partner here to figure out just what that endgame was.

Speaking of my partner...

“Since we’re going to be getting more acquainted, it’s probably a good idea to get each other’s names.” I said, straightening a bit in my seat.

He blinked, only just realizing that we hadn’t done that, before nodding. “Apologies, today has been full of oddities and I forgot my manners. My name is Dimitrius Valentine, and yours?”

So fancy, it made my name sound even more boring than normal in comparison. “Julian, no last name, I’m afraid.”

His brow ticked up. “That is an odd name for a woman, though I dare say it fits you.”

He wasn’t the first to comment on my name, though he was the only one to do so without mocking it. My estimation of him rose another inch as I shrugged. “I was born in England when the name was popular for boys and my mother happened to want a boy. She wound up with me and decided if she couldn’t have a son, she’d name her daughter as if she had.”

Which had caused utter hell when I was younger, but I shoved the old memories to the side. There were more important things to consider than the mocking of the town. Such as an intriguing incubus who was some kind of superhero to children of his kind.

Oh, and the potential villain targeting children of his bloodline. That was another thing to think on, though a far less enjoyable one.

My eyes flicked over Dimitrius’s frame, taking him in with quiet appreciation. Generally people were more irritation than they were worth. Their lack of intelligence and prejudices made me avoid them as a whole, but something about him was different.

He called to me, beckoning me closer, and I was powerless against that pull.

I only realized I’d leaned forward when he spoke again, snapping me back in my seat as my heart tripped.

“I have an informant who told me something odd has been happening as of late. The children have been disappearing without a trace. At first, we assumed there were fewer being born, but no. There has been a boom in births, but once they reach a certain age, they disappear. This is the closest we have come to finding the person behind it.”

Shaking off my odd reaction to him, I thought back on the mages I’d killed with a grimace. Now I almost wished I hadn’t done that. Almost.

Maybe we could search the house the kids had been held in for more information. The woman seemed stupid enough to leave such things lying around. When I voiced that thought, Dimitrius nodded.

“After I feed, we will do that. There is no time to waste. We cannot afford whoever is behind this learning we are onto them.” He hesitated, then continued with a tick of his brow. “I assume you are my ally in this fight?”

Flashes of the kids’ terrified faces came back, branding my eyelids anytime I blinked. Steely determination washed through me like a wave and I nodded, sealing my place in whatever mess laid on the horizon. “Yeah, it’s like you said, no kid should ever have to deal with this. If I can help save them, then I’m in. Besides, you might run into more mages. If your power doesn’t work on them then you’ll be at a disadvantage.”

He couldn’t bet his life on his opponents being weak, after all. That was an easy way to get dead.

Again, he nodded. “And I have the resources to hunt the ones behind this down. Between the two of us, we will find the mind behind it all and put a stop to them. You are more than welcome to stay at my home while the search is underway and I will pay you as I would any other investigator.”

Well, that was nice of him, but unnecessary. “Thanks, but no need. I appreciate the thought but I’m not doing this for money.”

His brow twitched, curiosity lighting his eyes as he leaned forward. “Then what are you doing it for?” The same pull from earlier came and I struggled to resist, shrugging instead.

“I assume the same reason you are. Morals. While I can’t claim to have a strict moral compass–to be honest it’s more like a game show wheel–this is one of the things I don’t stand for. Kids should be allowed to just be kids without the fear of violation or kidnapping. Do I need more reason to hunt down the scum behind this?”

Approval warmed his eyes before stretching down into the curl of his lips. “No you do not. It is…relieving to have one such as you around. Should you wish to become acquainted more, I could see us becoming close confidants.”

Someone really should tell him that talking like that made him stick out like a sore thumb. Heck I’m over three hundred years old and even I sounded more natural than he did…

It would make teasing him easier.

Impish delight made my lips twitch as I poked lightly. “Friends, in this millennia we use the term friends.”

He blinked, a flash of surprise there and gone before his expression shifted into an amused smile. “Friends then. But first, we have business to attend to.”

The car pulled to a stop, his movements graceful as he exited before offering a hand to me. I took it, writing off the tingles working their way up my arm as part of his power. Shooting a glance at the brothel in front of us, dubious curiosity tugged along my skin.

Well, I guess this was as good a place as any for a being of lust to feed.

Turning to Dimitrius, I froze at the pained grimace now stretching his lips. The air around him charged almost like it had in the clearing, the invisible power reaching toward the brothel as he gestured toward the steps.

“Let us finish this. The sooner you understand what feeding is for us, the sooner we can commence with finding the ones behind this.”

The hair on my neck and arms stood to attention at the reluctance all but oozing off him now. He’d said he preferred feeding this way, so why did he look as if he were facing a firing squad? If this was his version of food, then shouldn’t he be happy to eat?

Hell, I could eat my weight in pork and beef if the dish was tasty. But maybe it was different for him…

Eyeing the tense line of his shoulders, I followed a step behind as the nagging feeling that I was missing something dragged its nails up my back. No use dwelling on it, I’d just have to be ready in case shit hit the fan.

Sending magic to my hand, the familiar rush of power comforting, I braced. Better to be safe than sorry.