CHAPTER 150: DEMONS AND THEIR SERVICES PT 2

Drakkar

The silence in the meeting chamber had stretched for minutes after Aelin and Ariston left.

I didn’t move. I simply kept my eyes locked on the door long after it closed, my mind spiraling into places I didn’t expect.

An appointment? Sure.

But a massage? From an incubi salon? That was something I didn’t expect from Aelin. I could expect that from any person in the demon kingdom, but for a human to say that they are going to the incubus den...

The words felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down my spine. I stared after them, at the door that closed behind them.

Draegon was silent, too, leaning forward with one hand over his mouth, his jaw tight. His purple eyes were unfocused. That was never good. Draegon wasn’t the brooding type unless something seriously rattled him.

And clearly, the calm words from his wife and how casually a married woman said she was going to get relaxed by the hands of incubi, rattled him enough.

I sat back, arms crossed, voice low.

"Did she just say what I think she said?" I had clearly heard what she said, yet I couldn’t help but ask again.

Draegon didn’t move right away. But finally, he broke the silence after thinking for a while. "You don’t think... they’re actually going to an incubi salon, do you?" Incubi salons are in the lust dens.

"Or maybe they got the incubi to come to the palace." I said, "They provide all sorts of ’services after all." I said, "What do you think?" I looked at him with a worried expression, "But, really? A massage from incubi? Do you think she was joking?"

Draegon didn’t answer right away. He leaned back in his chair, resting an elbow on the armrest. His purple eyes narrowed. "I don’t know. She didn’t seem like she was lying."

"That’s what’s bothering me," I said, sitting up straighter. "Why now? Why suddenly?"

"They’re... intimate," Draegon said slowly, as if the word tasted foreign on his tongue. "You know that."

I nodded. "They offer sex, Draegon."

My words seemed to piss him off, "I know what they offer." His voice was tight. Controlled. But then he shook his head, "She wouldn’t do that," He added after a pause, more to himself than anyone else. "She just... she’s been training hard. Her muscles must be tense."

I get it. New magic learners strain their muscles a lot

But still,

"Maybe," I said, but it didn’t feel convincing in my own mouth. I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean, I know she’s been training. I get that she’s exhausted. But that’s what hot springs are for. Not... not this."

"They’re going together," Draegon finally said, his voice flat. "Why are they going together?" He frowned, "I didn’t take Ariston for the type who would want to go to get ’massages’ from incubi."

"Exactly!" I said, "He hates it if anyone gets near his personal space and suddenly a massage!?!?" I rolled my eyes, "Apparently," I muttered, "because Aelin wants Ariston to relax." I made a face. "That alone is suspicious." I clenched my fists. I’m sure Ariston knows what incubi specialize in

Right?

"She said she was tired," Draegon said again.

"And wanted Ariston to experience the same pleasure?" I countered, glaring at the wall. "Bullshit." I began to wonder if they were messing with us.

That’s when Vesper, lounging in her usual half-serpent form, lifted her gaze from her seat across the room. Her tail coiled loosely around her chair, firelight dancing across her scales. "You two really are slow."

I turned to her. "Come again?"

"They don’t know what an incubi massage is," she said simply. "They’re humans. They’ve probably heard the term thrown around, sure. But they don’t know."

Draegon sat up a little straighter. "What do you mean, they don’t know?"

Draken, who’d been listening in silence, joined the conversation now. He glanced between us and Vesper, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "She’s right. Demon customs — especially incubi rituals — don’t always translate. Humans hear ’massage’ and think ’relaxation.’ They don’t think pleasure sensors and heat regulation and the natural pheromone response."

I blinked.

"Pheromone response?"

Draken gave me a look. "You’ve been to one, haven’t you?"

I stiffened. "Once."

"Then you know." He rolled his eyes, "Since we’ve all been training a lot the past few weeks, it makes sense if the humans want to relax their tense muscles. They have a different anatomy as well."

"Besides, incubi massages are the rage nowadays since they’re offering a whole range of stuff now. The Queen must have heard about the hype but the chances are she doesn’t know how far it can go."

Oh, I knew. It was nothing like what you’d find in a human bathhouse or spa. The incubi’s touch wasn’t just physical. They tapped into core instincts — emotional weak spots, hidden desires. And yes, they offered release. That was practically standard.

"She’s going in blind," I muttered. "With Ariston."

Draegon’s expression darkened, his hands curling slowly into fists.

And for a moment, I could see it — the hazy image of Ariston, walking into one of those fire-scented chambers, letting some sinfully smooth demon touch his neck, trace his fingers down his back, whisper things in his ear—

I shot to my feet. "I’m going after them."

Draegon stood a second later. "No. I am."

Vesper rolled her eyes. "How about both of you run before one of them signs a consent scroll?" She paused, "But they’re not kids, I’m sure they must read through stuff-"

Neither of us listened to what she was saying anymore. Draegon was already halfway to the door. I followed.

Because whatever this plan of theirs was they definitely did not think this through.

There was no way in the seven hells I was letting Ariston breathe the same steam as an incubus!

Not while his skin was still mine to burn for.

Not while my blood was already boiling.