Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

The first thing Adrian registered upon waking was warmth. An all-encompassing warmth that radiated from the source pressed against his side. His eyes snapped open, and his heart stuttered to a stop.

He was curled up against Knox.

His arm was draped over Knox’s chest, his head resting on the incubus’s shoulder. Knox’s arm was wrapped around him, holding him close, and Adrian could feel the steady rise and fall of his breath against his cheek.

The memory of the previous night—the shattered skylight, the rain, the realization that his fictional crush was now a very real, very solid presence in his life—flooded back in a dizzying rush.

He’d fallen asleep on the sofa, determined to maintain some distance from the demon who’d turned his world upside down.

But sometime during the night, he must have shifted in his sleep, drawn closer to the comforting heat radiating from Knox.

Mortified, Adrian tried to extricate himself without waking the other man. He carefully shifted his weight, easing out from under Knox’s arm, trying to untangle their limbs without making any sudden movements. It was like trying to defuse a bomb made of lean muscle and warm skin.

Just as he thought he’d managed to free himself, Knox mumbled something in his sleep, his grip tightening around Adrian’s waist.

"Don’t… go," Knox murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down Adrian’s spine.

Adrian’s heart stuttered in his chest. He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t be this close to Knox, not when every inch of him screamed to lean in closer, to bury his face in the other man’s chest, and inhale that intoxicating scent of rain and something uniquely Knox.

It was the incubus magic, he told himself, the allure that had ensnared countless victims in the stories. He had to resist it.

Before he could make another attempt at escape, a cheerful voice shattered the tense silence.

"Good morning, sleepyheads!"

Adrian flinched, his entire body flushing crimson as his grandmother bustled into the living room.

"Oh, my." Her gaze lingered on their tangled limbs and Adrian’s panicked expression. "It seems you two got quite cozy."

"Grandma!" Adrian choked out, scrambling away from Knox so quickly he nearly fell off the sofa. "It’s not what it looks like!"

Knox groaned, his eyes fluttering open, a confused frown creasing his brow. He blinked, taking in the sight of Adrian perched on the edge of the sofa, his face the color of a ripe tomato, and Evelyn standing there with a knowing smile.

"Morning," Knox mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep. He glanced down at himself, at the rumpled duck pajamas, then back at Adrian, his brow furrowing. "Did I…?"

"You didn’t do anything," Adrian blurted out, the words tumbling over each other. "I mean, you were asleep. And I… well, I must have rolled over in my sleep. It’s a small sofa."

He knew he sounded utterly ridiculous, but he couldn’t help the frantic babble that spilled from his lips.

Evelyn chuckled. "Well, no harm done, dears. Breakfast is almost ready. Why don’t you two freshen up while I finish setting the table?"

Adrian, desperate to escape the awkwardness, practically bolted toward the bathroom, his heart still pounding in his chest.

He splashed water on his face, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His cheeks were still flushed, his hair was a mess, and his heart was pounding like he’d just run a marathon.

His phone buzzed on the bathroom counter, a notification from his group chat. He picked it up, his stomach clenching with a mix of dread and anticipation.

BookBoyfriendLover69: Dude. Holy. Shit.

BookBoyfriendLover69: Turn on the news!

Adrian stared at the message. This couldn’t be good. He dried his face with a towel.

He wanted to ask Daniel what the fuck he was talking about, but he was scared to find out.

He’d been hoping that what had happened last night had been a freak occurrence, a glitch in the matrix. But what if it was not?

In the living room, the TV was tuned to a local news channel, and the headline flashing across the bottom of the screen made him feel like the floor was dropping out from under him:

STRANGE OCCURRENCES REPORTED ACROSS CITY, POLICE BAFFLED.

A reporter stood in front of a chaotic scene—police cars, flashing lights, and a crowd of onlookers gathered around a building that looked like it had been struck by a miniature earthquake.

"It’s a scene straight out of a movie, folks," the reporter announced, her voice equally full of excitement and disbelief. "Just moments ago, this building, a local bank, was reportedly shaken by a powerful force, causing extensive damage. Witnesses describe strange lights, a deafening roar, and even… well, this is hard to believe, but some are claiming to have seen creatures that defy explanation. Police are investigating, but so far, there are no answers."

The camera panned to a group of awestruck onlookers. One woman, her eyes wide, spoke into a microphone.

"It was like… like something out of a fantasy novel," she said. "I saw… I saw a creature made of shadows, with glowing red eyes. It just… vanished into thin air."

Adrian felt a chill run down his spine. His gaze darted to Knox, whose eyes were fixed on the television screen, his brow furrowed in a deep frown.

The reporter continued, "Authorities are urging residents to remain calm and to report any suspicious activity. While the cause of these incidents remains unclear, some are speculating that?—"

"By the seven hells, it’s him," Knox muttered, his voice edged with disbelief and anger. "It’s the Shadow King."

"The Shadow King?" Adrian echoed. He knew the name, of course, knew the villain; he just refused to believe. He’d spent countless hours reading about the monster’s exploits, analyzing his motivations, and discussing his every move in online forums. To think that he was here now…

He couldn’t process that.

"What’s the Shadow King?" Evelyn asked, setting a plate of toast on the coffee table. The scent of butter and cinnamon wafted through the air, jarringly domestic.

Knox turned away from the television, his gaze settling on Evelyn. "He’s… a powerful half-fae sorcerer," Knox explained, his voice tight. "A mad sorcerer. He couldn’t accept that his family lost the throne and turned to the darkest kind of magic. The power has driven him to insanity, and now he wants to take the whole world with him."

Evelyn frowned. "A sorcerer? Like in those fantasy books you’re always reading, Adrian?"

Adrian swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Something like that, Grandma." He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Knox, whose expression had hardened.

"But why would he come here?" Knox muttered, more to himself than to them. "He banished me to this realm, to be rid of me. Why would he follow?"

Adrian’s brow furrowed. "He banished you?"

Knox nodded, his gaze distant. "That was what I thought." He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "But if he’s here…"

He trailed off, the question hanging in the air. If it wasn’t the Shadow King who was responsible for Knox being here, who was?

"This is bad," Adrian said, the words escaping his lips before he could stop them. He knew from the web novel that the Shadow King was a force to be reckoned with, a master of shadow magic who thrived on fear and chaos. His arrival in the real world could only mean disaster.

Evelyn, meanwhile, seemed unconcerned. "Now, now, dears," she said, her tone soothing. "Let’s not jump to conclusions. Reporters are always exaggerating things."

Knox shook his head his expression grim. "You don’t understand, Evelyn. If he’s really here… This is… a storm that could consume your entire world. He can manipulate shadows, control minds, feed on fear. He thrives on chaos, on the unraveling of order. And in a place like this, a world unprepared, he could become unstoppable."

Adrian swallowed hard, the implications of Knox’s words sinking in. This wasn’t a fictional threat confined to the pages of a webnovel anymore. This was real. This was dangerous. And Knox, the only one who might be able to stop him, was standing there in his grandmother’s living room, wearing duck pajamas.

"We have to stop him," Knox continued. "But I need my magic. I need to find a way to access my full power."

He turned to Adrian. "In my world," he said, "there are… places, bars, where individuals gather for physical release. Are there such places in this world?"

Adrian stared at him, his mind reeling.

Was Knox asking him to show him to a brothel?

"There has to be another way," Adrian said, unable to meet the demon’s gaze.

Knox sighed, a sound laced with frustration. "There’s no ambient magic in this world, not enough for me to draw on. I need… a source." He hesitated, then took a step closer to Adrian, his gaze burning into him. "You would make an excellent meal, but I’ve already promised you that I’m not touching you, so what else would you have me do?"

Adrian’s mind short-circuited. He could feel heat creeping up his neck, his ears burning with a mortification he hadn’t experienced since that time in high school when he’d accidentally called his English teacher "Mom."

He wanted to tell Knox that he didn’t need to go to a brothel, for heaven’s sake, but the incubus was right. If Adrian didn’t want to become a battery of sexual energy for Knox, he would have to find another way to regain his magic.

Why, though?

Why couldn’t Adrian let Knox draw power from him?

He swallowed hard. He could do it right now. Take Knox to a hotel room, have mind-blowing sex, save the world.

Easy, right?

Except that Knox would want things that Adrian didn’t… couldn’t…

He’d see just how messed up Adrian was.

This wasn’t a story or a dream, after all. This was cold hard reality, and in reality, Adrian was a really lousy fuck.

"I, um… there’s…" Adrian cleared his throat.

Evelyn chose that moment to interject. "Is it a discreet establishment that you’re looking for? Am I understanding this right?"

"Grandma, no!" Adrian hissed.

Knox, however, was all ears. "Discreet establishment?" he repeated. "Is that what you call them in this realm?"

"Well," Evelyn said, pulling a notepad and pen from a chest of drawers with a practicality that made Adrian want to groan, "There’s that place just a few blocks from here. I walk by there on my way to the library sometimes." She began to sketch a map on the notepad.

Adrian stared at her, his mouth agape. Was she seriously giving a demon directions to a brothel like it was nothing? "Grandma, I don’t think?—"

"Oh, hush, dear," Evelyn interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "We’re all old enough to know that sex is perfectly natural." She tore the map from the notepad, folded it neatly, and handed it to Knox. "Here you go."

Knox accepted the map with a solemn nod, studying the lines and arrows as if they held the secrets to ancient magic. "Evelyn," he said, his voice tinged with a respect that only amplified Adrian’s sense of surreal absurdity, "you are a wise and resourceful woman. I am in your debt. If this works, this whole world is in your debt."

Adrian wanted to disappear. He wanted to dissolve into the beige carpet and become one with the mundane, utterly non-magical décor of his grandmother’s apartment.

"Just one piece of advice, young man," Evelyn added, her voice taking on a no-nonsense tone that Adrian knew well. "Don’t let them take all your money. And always, always, use protection. You never know what you might encounter in those establishments."

Knox seemed to take her advice seriously. "I will keep that in mind." He nodded, looked once more at the map, and then walked out the door—barefoot and still wearing those damn pajamas.

Adrian stared after him.

How was any of this happening?

Evelyn shot Adrian a look. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Are you just going to let him go like that?"

Her words shook Adrian out of his stupor. Without another thought, he put on his shoes and ran after the incubus.