The Incubus's Secretary (Dark Council Series Book 2)

Chapter 30

Sanaya’s P.O.V

“Did she really think that trick would work?” I frowned as the elevator doors closed behind Asmara.

Lancelin visibly relaxed as soon as the words were out of my mouth. “It usually does.” He walked over to me and pulled me into his arms, cupping my face tenderly in his palms. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t have any urge to doubt me or accuse me of cheating on you?”

“Lance, if I had to accuse you of anything, it wouldn’t be because of Asmara.” I told him clearly because that’s what he needed to hear from me; the truth. “I’m intelligent enough to know that you’re not the kind of person who would suddenly decide to sleep with a woman who had both you and Acelin riled up, not to mention your mom as well.”

A smile broke out on Lancelin’s face as a droplet of water dripped onto my cheeks from his wet, dark hair that was plastered to his forehead. “Asmara can be very convincing when she wants to be. Most Incubi can manipulate but she takes manipulation to a whole new level. To a protector, she’s a damsel in distress. To a knight, she’s a Queen. To any follower, she’s a leader. She’s everything you want her to be and this case, she was trying to play the other woman.”

“Wow.” I narrowed my eyes at Lancelin. “You’re awfully poetic about describing a woman you seem to hate.”

Lance threw back his head laughing. “You really are something, Sanaya.”

“Oh no, I’m not something,” I told him seriously. “I’m someone who’s very interested in knowing exactly what the deal with your family and Asmara is.”

It was now Lancelin’s turn to narrow his eyes at me. “Nosy much? What do I get in return?”

“Hmmm,” I had to think about that in details. What could I possible leverage with an Incubus who practically had everything he ever wanted or needed.

“How about I make this easy for you?” Lancelin’s wicked smile told me exactly how ‘easy’ he was about to make it. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know about Asmara and you tell me all the tiny little details about Acelin’s lover.”

I gasped in horror. “That’s highly confidential!”

“A deal is a deal.” He smirked and tapped on my nose. “And it’s a mighty good one if I add.”

“Fine.” I huffed grumpily. “Deal.”

“Good girl,” Lancelin stepped back and extended his hand towards me. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” I asked, placing my hand in his.

“It’s a surprise.” Lancelin pulled me out the door and into the elevator and pressed the button for the roof.

“What’s on the roof?” I asked cynically. Not that it really mattered, I would go to the ends of the earth with Lancelin if he asked, but I was trying to distract myself from the fact that Lance was wearing nothing but a towel having freshly showered and the combination of his power and his scent were driving my senses nuts.

The walls of the elevator seemed tiny as Lancelin’s power pushed against every wall. It was intoxicating. I had to curl my fingers into my palms to refrain myself from touching him because if I started, I won’t be able to stop. Damn! For five years, I’ve never even wanted to look at another man, but the moment my eyes landed on Lancelin, I was a goner. I didn’t know about my immunity to any other Incubus, but I had zero immunity when it came to Lancelin.

The elevator doors opened at the roof and Lancelin stepped out to make way for me. “This is what is on the roof. Welcome to my secret heaven.”

A gasp escaped my lips at the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.

The entire roof was a sprawling rose garden, all of them red. The moon shore bright in the night sky, its brightness almost eclipsed by the illumination of the numerous high rises around us, but it still cast a silvery hue of the blood red petals. Several fairy lights were strung along the side of the building and on the floor that was a curved pathway leading to a large gazebo right in the middle of the roof. There was a swing and several small chairs inside the gazebo to provide for a lounging area. Right in front of the gazebo was a small water fountain in the shape of a lotus. The entire roof was filled with the sugary sweetness of the roses that tingled the nostrils but didn’t overpower.

“Wow!” I stepped out into the crisp night air. “This is amazing! Did you plant these?”

“No, I hired a Gardner.” Lancelin smiled, obvious pride in his eyes. “I made this spot for my mother. She always comes here whenever she visits me. Since she loves roses, I made sure that I make a special place for her in my home to make her feel welcome.”

Lancelin’s devotion to his family was heart touching. In many ways, we were the same, both of us were trying to do our best to give our mothers what they deserved, the very best of everything.

“And what about your father?” I asked and instantly regretted it as Lancelin’s expression darkened.

“My father is the reason why Asmara almost destroyed our family.” Lancelin said bitterly. “I met her when I was barely a hundred years old. I was instantly besotted with her. She was three hundred years older than me but age hardly mattered when we were both immortals. It was almost after four years of dating that I understood she was never actually in love with me…she was after my father.”

“That horrible b***h!” Not only had she played with Lancelin’s heart, she had almost destroyed his parent’s marriage.

“We can’t put the whole blame on Asmara, although it would be the easier way out.” Lancelin smiled ruefully. “My father didn’t exactly say no to her, in fact they were entangled for over fifty years until there were rumors that Asmara was pregnant with my father’s child.”

Fifty years? Holy f*****g s**t! It would’ve been a milestone for any human couple. “What happened then?”

“I don’t know exactly, none of us do, but one fine morning Asmara was suddenly…gone.” He shrugged. “It was like she was never a part of our lives. All her things were gone and so was any sign of her existence in the castle. My father apologized to both my mother and me the next morning, saying that he was blinded by her manipulation and that there was never any baby. Asmara had made that up so she could take my mother’s place.”

“Did you believe him?” I asked him when Lance remained quiet.

Lance took my hand in his large ones and pulled me towards the direction of the gazebo. I went with him willingly, wanting to know more and also wanting to provide him with some form of comfort.

“I guess we didn’t have a choice. Asmara had just disappeared and didn’t surface until two hundred years later, which was odd but I guess after the shameful act she had committed, she needed to lay low or she could’ve been killed by my mother’s supporters. We are afterall, not a normal family.” He reminded me. “And discord within the Royal family could very well lead to a rebellion.”

“I guess I’m not that familiar with the immortal world after all,” I sighed, clutching on to Lancelin’s hand with both of mine.

“Don’t worry,” Lance lifted up my chin with his index finger. “You’ll have plenty of time to learn.”

“Do you still have feelings for her?” It just slipped out, even though I hadn’t wanted it to. But I guess deep down, a part of me still wanted to know.

“Do you still have feelings for Keith?” Lancelin questioned back instead of answering.

“Point taken.” I said sourly.

Asmara and Keith. Both were in the past. Betrayals we had long forgotten and their reappearances only served as a bitter reminder of the wasted years and the wasted tears. But Lancelin and I were each other’s future. And we won’t let anyone’s manipulation stand in the way of our blooming love.