Grayson's Veil

Avice changed back into human form once the incubus revealed its male form. “How are you in this world? You’re only supposed to be in dreams!” She yelled, gathering up her dark green cloak.

Male Noel was vastly different from the female Noel. This man was dark skinned with deep chocolate eyes. His head was bald while a burst of dark curled hair gathered on his chest. The man’s physique was impressive with sculpted abs and a V drawing the attention to his well-endowed dick.

Phoebe giggled and bit her lip, peeking out from behind Grayson.

Grayson studied the man. “I know you. We fought together.”

The man smiled. “Yes. Well, something like that.” His voice was deep and held the same smoothness as the woman version of him.

‘Lust is their need. Deception is their game. Never believe what this thing says unless you want to fall down their semblance hole and never get out.’ Grayson’s demon spoke.

Grayson decided it was best to take heed of his warning.

“What do you want?” Avice asked.

The man chuckled as he put his arm behind his back and walked to the side. “There are many things I want. Power. Riches. Hundreds of male and female virgins lined up waiting for me to take their innocence. In due time I hope this will happen, but right now, right this moment, I want him. I want to always be close to him, to be by his side, to go where he goes. I want his energy, hell I’ve only had it once and I am already craving it. It is amazing how the energy has already been replenished. Normally, it takes days for humans to recover what I take. But we know you are not one hundred percent human…” When his words stopped, he faced Grayson.

Avice crossed her arms, glaring at the incubus. “You are not staying close to Grayson. He won’t allow it, and neither will I. Right Grayson?”

Grayson put his sword back in its scabbard, a loud shink echoed in the woods as everyone waited for his reaction.

“I could care less what you do. Just do not get in my way.” Pulling his hood back over his face, Grayson sat back against the tree.

Avice clenched her jaw in anger.

“Wonderful.” Noel smiled. “You.” He pointed to Phoebe. “Got room for one more in that cloak?”

Phoebe nodded, opening her cloak to him with a shy smile.

“No, do not lay with it Phoebe,” Avice begged, concern for her friend painted her face.

“Shhh. I will not harm you,” Noel murmured in Phoebe’s ear. “You and I are the same. We do what we must to survive.”

Phoebe nodded again, then shivered as Noel bit her ear. They circled the fire and sat facing away from Avice and Grayson, their desire already becoming apparent.

Avice was in front of Grayson in a heartbeat.

“What are you doing? You’re letting a lust-filled demon follow and consume you, and you’re letting it indulge in Phoebe? This is not what Alice had in mind, nor is it what Eleanor would have wanted!”

At the mention of Eleanor, Grayson instantly came to life and grabbed Avice by the throat.

“Eleanor is the only thing that matters to me. Not you, not Phoebe, not Alice. Do you understand me? No one matters but her!” Grayson’s face was contorted in rage. Avice has rarely felt fear towards a living creature, but Grayson’s response created a whole new level of fear to reside in her.

Quickly changing into a snake to escape his grasp, Avice dropped onto the chilled ground and slithered away.

Grayson slumped against the tree, ignoring the sounds of intimacy that echoed throughout the woods. He closed his eyes for what felt like a minute before the sun crept up above the horizon.

Sighing, Grayson stood up and went to ready the horses.

The chilled air stung his cheeks and made his fingers ache while he put the saddles back on the horses. As he was settling into his saddle, Noel walked up with Phoebe asleep in his arms. There was a smile on his face and a skip in his step that made Grayson narrow his eyes at him.

Noel noticed Grayson’s glare, making his smile wider.

“Her energy was wonderful. But yours is…” Noel kissed his fingers, “perfection.”

Grayson growled lowly. “You will be kind to Phoebe, or you will find pieces of your body used to grow tobacco.” Even if Phoebe was not his main objective, he still needed to protect his wife’s fragile friend. At least to some degree.

Noel only shrugged while easily mounting the other horse with Phoebe still in his arms. The horse’s ears turned back and forth, showing its uneasiness at the new rider.

Pulling down his hood, Grayson squeezed his heels into the horse’s sides and began another long day of riding.

As they rode, Noel would shift between a male and female, reveling in Phoebe’s reactions to the change when she finally woke. The raspy dry sound of the shifting, a sound similar to a reptiles’ scales rubbing together, made Grayson’s spine shiver with revulsion.

After Noel turned back into a man for the third time, Grayson broke the silence. “What exactly happened to you? How did you turn into… this?”

Noel turned to Grayson while Phoebe, who now sat in front of Noel, took over the reins. “When I was human, I played with every woman who was willing. Some were married, some were prostitutes. I had an unquenchable thirst for sex and that sin made me into what I am now.” A musing look took over his usual smugness, making him appear less as a leach.

Grayson turned his head slightly so he could see the incubus. “Who is that woman you turn into?”

Noel frowned for a moment before putting on a passive face. “She is like me, the yearning to always be filled a constant desire…”

“Do you think I will be one, like you?” Phoebe asked, tilting her head to look at Noel with large eyes.

Noel smirked. “Most likely, little harlot.”

Phoebe frowned. “Will it hurt?”

Laughing, Noel tousled her hair. “Of course, you’ll be merging with another sex fiend.”

Biting her lip, Phoebe nodded with tears building up in her eyes.

The conversation came to a halt when there was a break in the trees.

In front of them, stood a large field expanding several thousand yards. The ground was covered in snow and the sky decorated in gray clouds. A haze blanketed the air, making it hard to see the mountain that was beyond the field.

The colds icy fingers slipped under their cloaks and gripped their bodies, reminding them that since there is no forest there is no cover. From anything.

Grayson surveyed the land as their horses walked slowly out into the open. It was too quiet for his liking.

‘Tonight is a full moon. We must be careful,’ Avice’s voice rang out to Grayson.

’Why should I care?’ He asked, anger coursing through his veins at the thought of something so insignificant getting in his way.

‘The Veil between the worlds blur on the night of a full moon. Many things can happen, and you are going to draw them in…’

Before Grayson could question her words, he heard a twig snap. Then another.

His head whipped around towards the noise. Noel put his hand on Phoebe’s mouth, effectively quieting her so they could hear well.

Foot falls covered the silence, giving off an odd ambience to the atmosphere.

Soon people started to come out of the tree line. They walked across the fields in the snow barefoot, not paying any mind to the cold.

Grayson snaked his hand onto the hilt of his sword, ready to lash out at anyone who dare try to face him.

But, to his surprise, not one of them looked their way. They were focused on the open field, obvious that they had a destination in mind.

With the clouds and winter haze, it was hard to see anything more than a few feet in front of them. But as each person walked past Grayson and his party, the more Grayson felt that he needed to follow them.

“Night will be upon us in no time, we should follow them and see if we can join in where they are slumbering,” Noel finally spoke.

As Grayson opened his mouth to speak, rhythmic drums sounded.

The heads of the people lifted, each one opening their mouths and making a barking/howl noise from the back of their throats.

Turning his head to the tree lines, Grayson noticed that the air was distorted. The smell of sulfur wafted towards him, making him scrunch up his nose in disgust.

“Let’s move.”

Gently kicking their horses, they followed the strangers further into the haze.