Incubus by Sheridyn Warwick (best ereader for epub .TXT) 📕

Chaprter One

Autumn Destler was what you would call a total nerd. She had long brown hair, brown eyes, and turquoise glasses. She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't particulary good looking either. She never got in trouble, she always made good grades, and she loved to read. Her life was normal, she had a summer job working in a book store, a somewhat normal best friend, Cassie Brownand a normal family. The only thing not normal was her physco kitten, Grizabella. That all changed when the new guy turned up.

Autumn sighed as she unlocked the door to the Bell, Book, and Candle, the bookstore owned by Maggie Silverstorm, the town's "witch". The bell above the door jingled and the overwhelming smell of candles filled her nose.
"Maggie!" she called. She heard a book fall in the back room and Maggie curse silently. Mistoffelees, Maggie's black cat ran to Autumn, rubbing his head against her leg. Autumn crouched down, "Hey, Misto. Pretty boy." she cooed as she scratched behind his ear. She heard Maggie's many skirts rustling and she straightened.
Maggie was looked basically like an old gypsie. She had silver hair tied into a loose bun, long clolorful skirts, and jangiling necklaces, "Autumn, my dear!" Maggie said, giving her a hug, "You have a new co-worker! He'll be here around noon, his name is Erik Diable. Be nice, okay?"
Autumn raised an eyebrow, diable was French for devil, wasn't it.
"I'll be nice," she said, lifting Mistoffelees into her arms and walking behind the checkout table. Maggie nodded and returned to the back room, doing God knows what.
So her summer job wasn't all that exiting, but it was a job.
Two hours and barely any buisness later, it was noon. Maggie was bursting with exitment, Autumn, however, was dreading the newcomer.
"Hey, Maggie?" Autumn called
Maggie stopped babbiling and looked in her direction, "Yes, dear?"
"What's up with this new guy?"
Maggie smiled, "He's my good friend from Alabama's grandnephew, he's staying with me until further notice."
Autumn sighed and pushed up her glasses. Just then, the bell above the door jingled. Autumn's gaze went to the door, her jaw dropped. TYhe boy standing in the doorway was about her age with messy black hair, black-brown eyes, and a smoldering gaze. Autumn stared at him, she wasn't much into guys, but she couldn't help the girlish feeling he gave her. Maggie ran up to him and gave him a hug, "Erik! Give your grandaunt a hug!"
Erik smiled, "Hey Aunt Maggie."
It was then that Erik noticed her. She suirmed uncomfortably inder his gaze, it was like he was undressing her with his eyes, an annoyingly sensual grin on his lips. Maggie saw this and elbowed him in the ribs. Erik shook his head and turned off the smolder eyes.
"Hello," Erik said, holding his hand out, "I'm Erik Diable. You must be Autumn, Maggie's told me so much about you."
Autumn said nothing, and wished she was wearing a bit more clothes, other thatn her jean shorts and TMNT t-shirt.

Later that night, Autumn was on the phone with her best, and only, friend Cassie.
"I'm serious, Cassie!" Autumn insisted, "He was lke supermegasexyawesomehot!"
Cassie giggled, "Now I so want your job."
Autumn shrugged, "I dunno, he's kinda, creepy."
"Like how creepy?"
"Creeper creepy, Cassie, creeper creepy."
She heard Cassie give a thoughtful, "Hmm." on the other line. Autumn laughed as Grizabella attacked her toes.
"Hey, Cassie." Autumn said, "I gotta go. Grizzy's on another murderous rampage."
Cassie laughed again, "Darn those apocolypse starting cats."
Autumn laughed and humg up the phone. Her mind wandered back to Erik as she crawled into bed. Who was this guy?


Chapter Two

Dance,dance! We're falling apart to half time! Da-

Autumn groaned and turned her alarm off. Summer jobs really sucked sometimes. She yawned and rolled over. Autumn screamed, crouching next to her bed was her phsyco best friend. Cassie. Cassie was much different from Autumn. Cassie was full of life, always exited and bouncing around. She had pixie like features, very petite, pale skin, freckles, green eyes, and short light-brown hair. Autumn hit her friend with a pillow, "What are you doing in my house?!"
Cassie laughed, "Your mom let me in."
Autumn rolled out of bed, "That still dosn't explain why

you're here, you creeper."
Cassie plopped onto the bed, "It's national bring your adorable friend to work day!"
Autumn laughed as she dug through her closet, "You just want to meet Erik."
Cassie shrugged, "Maybe."
Autumn pulled a blue tank-top and black shorts out of her closet and changed in the bathroom. Cassie had come to work with her before, since she had been fired from every job she had.
After brushing her hair and teeth, Autumn finished in her bathroom and skipped down the stairs, where Cassie was already tormenting Autumn's twelve year-old little brother, Alex. Autumn's mother, Jean, was laughing at Cassie, who had just appearently told a joke. Autumn looked at the clock, 9:30.
"Cassie!" Autumn said. Cassie jumped up in a ninja pose, "What? Are we under attack?"
Autumn laughed, "No, but if you wanna meet Erik-"
Cassie grabbed Autumn's arm and pulled her out the door, "Bye Mrs. D! Bye Munchkin!"
The drive from Autmn and Cassie's neighborhood to downtown didn't take long in Autumn's old, orange, VW Beatle. However, with Cassie's questions, it might as well have been an eternity. But when they finnaly pulled up to the Bell, Book an Candle, they were both releived. Autumn checked her watched, 9:50, ten minutes early.
Autumn opened the door and stepped in, "Maggie! I brought Cassie with me! I hope that's okay!"
From the back of the shop she heard Maggie,"As long as she helps out!"
Autumn turned to her, "You heard her."
Out of no where, it seemed, Erik appeared in front of them. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, oblivious to the steamy weather outside. Cassie seemed to be in shock as she stuck out her hand, "My names Cassandra Brown, but you can call me Cassie, Everyone does."
Erik smirked and shoock her name, "Erik Diable. It's a pleasure to meet you." He turned to Autumn and gave her the look that made her squirm, "Autumn."
Mistoffelees ran up to Autumn, hissing at Erik on his way. Erik made a face, "For some reason that cat just hates me."
Autumn picked up the black cat and stood at her post behind the cash register. Maggie came from the back of the store and put Cassie to work, wasting no time.
Hours past, with only a few customers, as usual. But Erik's eyes never left Autumn, and it was starting to freak her out. Finally, as Erik was passing by, Autumn stopped him, "Your really freaking me out, you know."
Erik raised his eyebrows in faux surprise, "It speaks!"
Autumn shook off his sarcasm, "Why do you keep staring at me?"
Erik smiled and leaned over the check out counter, he was too close.
"Why?" he whispered, "Do I make you nervous, Autumn?"
"No," Autumn lied, her breathing shakey.
Erik chuckled quietly, "Your lying. I can see it in your eyes. Your uneasy around me. I make you nervous."
Autumn shook her head rapidly and backed away, "There's something wrong with you."
Erik licked his lips, "Of course there is, Autumn. All you have to now is figure out what."
With that, he went back to organizing the book shelves, leaving Autumn shocked and confused... And slightly turned on.


Chapter Three

Maggie walked back into the main room around 1:00. Lunch time.
"I'm going to Quizno's!" She said, "does anyone want something?"
The three teenagers all said no. Cassie hat a vendetta against Quizno's and Autumn and Erik were'nt hungry. Maggie huffed, "Fine."
Once the old witch had left, Cassie attacked Erik with questions, "So, Erik." She said as they all went into the back room.
Erik lounged on the old red couch, Cassie sitting much too close to him. Autumn sat on the lovesseat across from them.
"Yes, Cassandra?" he asked irritably
Cassie smiled, "So where are you from? Someplace exotic?"
Erik laughed, "No, I'm from Birmingham, Alabama. Not that exotic."
Cassie smiled anyway, it explained his Southern drawl. Not many people had heard a Southerner in Providence, Rhode Island.
Autumn sneered, "Why are you staying with Maggie, anyway?"
His expresion darkened, "I live with my grandmother. She's on a... Trip, and she said I had to stay with Aunt Maggie."
Cassie opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by her phone ringing. She sighed and answered, "Yo?"
She listened and her face fell.
"Okay. Yeah, I'll be there in a sec." Cassie hung up her phone and frowned, "My dog swallowed another Barbie shoe. You know how it is."
Autumn laughed, "Want me to drive you?"
Cassie shook her head, "My house isn't far, I'll walk."
With that, she walked out of the back room. Autumn glared at Erik, he only smiled, "Is there something wrong, Autumn?"
She sighed and walked out of the room. She figured she would organized books or something.
Walking up and down the iles of books, she saw nothing out of place. Until she came to the demon section.
The book Demons A to Z

was lying open on the ground. Autumn raised an eyebrow and bent down to pick the book up. But a word caught her eye.
Incubus

it read, A male demon who lies upon sleepers, usualy always women, in order to have intercourse with them.

Autumn kept reading. By sleeping with its victoms it drains their energy, rejuvinating the incubus. The incubus often presents itself as an attractive, often adolecent, man. But there is always something that gives them away of being an incubus. Usualy, it's their eyes, which are slitted and yellow.
The attitude of an incubus is confidant, cocky, vain, and irrisistable. It is impossible to resist the seduction of an incubus.

Autumn dropped the book, her mind buzzing. Erik was an incubus. He had to be. Right? Autumn had no dount in her mind. She ran back into the back room, Erik was still in the same position as the one se left him in.
"I've figured it out." She stuttered out.
Erik stood from the couch, towering over Autumn, "What ever do you mean, Autumn dear?"
She glared at him, "Your an incubus."
Erik smiled, "Oh really?"
"Take out your contacts."
Erik slowly raised his fingers to his eyes and took out the brown contacts he was wearing. Autumn shivered when she saw his eyes, they were yellow and slitted.
"Would you like to see more?" Erik whispered.
Before Autumn could say anything, Erik shrugged off his leather jacket, and from his back sprouted two black bat wings. Autumn dropped her jaw. Erik laughed and Autumn saw his tounge it was long and forked, like a snake's. Autumn backed up into the wall. Erik's maniacal laughter echoed through the room. Autumn was frozen in fear as Erik came closer and pinned her to the wall.
Autumn squirmed beneath him, "Let me go!"
Erik's hands wrapped around her wrists,