Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

Adrian stared at the screen, mouth agape. The Shadow King was going to make a public appearance? At a convention?

This was bad.

"What’s wrong?" Knox’s voice broke through Adrian’s thoughts.

Adrian looked up to see Knox, Zev, and Lyrian all watching him intently. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his voice.

"Caelen… he’s going to appear at a convention tomorrow," Adrian said, struggling to wrap his head around the absurdity of it all.

Zev frowned. "What’s a convention?"

"It’s an event where fans of books, movies, and other media gather," Adrian explained quickly. "People dress up as their favorite characters, attend panels, meet authors… It’s like a big celebration for fans."

Lyrian’s eyes lit up with interest. "Sounds like my kind of party."

"Sounds like the kind of party we need to crash," Zev corrected. "We need to stop Caelen before he can cause more harm."

Lyrian nodded in agreement. "And perhaps use this ‘convention’ to our advantage. If he’s drawing power from admiration and belief, we need to turn that against him."

"We need to remind everyone who the real hero of the story is," Adrian agreed, glancing at Knox. "When people see the two of you side by side, they should realize."

"I’m no hero," Knox said.

"You’re better than Caelen, anyway."

Evelyn fixed Adrian with a look. "Are you sure you want to go to a convention in Greenwood, dear?"

Adrian understood his grandmother’s concerns, but this was more important than his personal drama. "I’ll be fine," he brushed her off. Adrian’s brother lived in Greenwood, yes, but surely he wouldn’t be at the convention. Grant had never had any interest in Monsters of Veridia .

"I’ll buy us tickets for the convention," Adrian decided, "and then I’ll announce on the web that we’ll be there, and then…" He took a deep breath. "Then I’ll explain to all of you what the web is and what to do at a convention."

"That sounds like it’ll require coffee," Evelyn said. "I’ll put some on."

"Thank you, Grandma." Adrian pulled out his phone and navigated to the convention website. It took him a little while because the servers kept crashing, but in the end, he managed to purchase four tickets, wincing at the exorbitant total.

A lot of people wanted to go to that convention suddenly.

"Okay, tickets are bought," he announced. "Now we need to talk."

The others gathered around him, looking at him expectantly.

"Alright, so…" Adrian began, trying to figure out the best way to explain this. "Everyone at the convention tomorrow… They’ve all read your story."

Lyrian’s brow furrowed. "But if they’ve read about us, shouldn’t they know how awesome we are? Why do they side with Caelen? They know what he’s done. It’s all right there in the recordings, yes?"

"Because he’s hot," Zev said, his tone dry.

Adrian wished he could deny the truth in Zev’s words, but he couldn’t. People really were that simple-minded.

"He showed himself as a savior," Adrian added, "and they want to believe him."

Knox’s jaw tightened. "The more people love him, the stronger he will get."

"We’ll make them love you instead," Adrian countered, meeting Knox’s gaze.

Evelyn chose that moment to set the coffee on the table before them.

"What is this delightful aroma?" Lyrian asked, sniffing the air cautiously.

"Coffee," Evelyn replied. "People like to drink it to stay alert. You should try it with some sugar if you’ve never had it."

Adrian winced as he watched Lyrian add a truly egregious amount of sugar to his coffee. "Not that much!"

Lyrian glanced at him, took a sip of his coffee and swallowed it down. "I happen to like sugar." He drank down the rest of his coffee just like that, and then he turned to Evelyn with the sweetest smile. "Do you mind if I take some?" he asked, and before Evelyn could respond, a good amount of sugar cubes disappeared into Lyrian’s pocket.

Vaguely, Adrian remembered that the siren had a habit of finding little keepsakes to take with him from any place he visited once.

Did sugar count as a keepsake?

Adrian shook his head. He’d never known that Lyrian had a sweet tooth, even though he’d read his story a hundred times.

Did that mean the siren was real? If he could have traits that weren’t mentioned in the book he came from?

"What are you thinking?" Knox asked.

"Nothing." Adrian got up from the table. "I’ll get my laptop and write a blog post to announce that we’ll be at the convention tomorrow."

The doorbell rang again.

And again.

Apparently, the reporters were done milking Lyrian’s song and wanted more.

"I’ll turn the bell off," Evelyn said. "This is quite ridiculous. I’m trying to enjoy my coffee. Oh, Adrian," halfway to the door, she stopped and turned to Adrian, "some workers will be over in an hour to put a temporary cover over the hole in your room’s ceiling. It’ll be a while before we can get a new window set in, but you should be able to sleep in your room, at least."

That was a relief to hear. Adrian was about to thank his grandmother when she continued.

"So I thought we could have two people sleeping in your room and two people sharing the couch in the living room tonight."

Adrian wanted to protest. Did they really need to host everyone?

But he couldn’t think of a better alternative. If he sent Lyrian, Zev and Knox out to fend for themselves, they’d either end up causing a car crash or joining a mass orgy somewhere. And Adrian wasn’t sure which scenario made his stomach ache harder.

"We don’t want to burden you," Knox said.

"Nonsense," Evelyn said. "Adrian’s friends are always welcome here."

And with that the topic was closed.

Adrian glanced at Knox. Should he ask for someone else to share his bed with? Like Zev or Lyrian?

No, that would be silly.

Besides, he’d already slept next to Knox once and nothing had happened.

Of course, that had been before their session in the hotel this morning… Would Knox think that all bets were off now? That he could touch Adrian tonight?

Adrian’s blood rushed to his groin in a way that made him want to adjust himself. Shit, he shouldn’t get a visible boner now.

Turning away from the others, he went into his room to get his laptop.

Should he offer to let Knox feed from him again?

He would have to face Caelen tomorrow, after all.

Adrian’s gaze fell onto the Knox-themed body pillow greeting him from his bed, mocking him.

He took it and shoved it under the bed.

Maybe Knox still had enough magic left and wouldn’t need him? Adrian wasn’t sure which scenario he was wishing for. His morning with the incubus had been incredible, and yet…

He still felt like he had failed, in a way, asking Knox to work around his insecurities. Surely the incubus could find a better meal in the crowd at the convention.

Someone who didn’t have so many hang-ups around the very thing Knox thrived on.

Adrian opened his laptop and opened his blog. ‘The Realistic Romantic.’ He should remind himself of his own title. Nothing about what he felt around Knox was realistic. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if Knox himself was really real or the figment of someone else’s imagination that had somehow, impossibly come to life.

It would be best not to get too entangled.

Just as he thought that, though, Knox stepped into his room and Adrian’s heart beat faster. The incubus was finally wearing his original clothes again—Evelyn must have cleaned them up for him—and the sight of the horned demon in battle gear took Adrian’s breath away—just like it did in every fucking fantasy Adrian had ever had about him.

How was he supposed to keep a cool head when Knox looked like that?

That demand was definitely not realistic.

"If you want to sleep in my room tonight," Adrian blurted, "I demand the ducky pajamas."

Oh God, had he really just said that?

Knox’s eyebrows rose and Adrian’s face heated.

"You don’t like my outfit?" Knox asked. "No." He smirked. "I think you like it a little too much." He stepped closer to Adrian.

Adrian felt his face flush even hotter. "That’s not?—"

"Your heart’s racing, Adrian." Knox’s voice was a low, confident. "I know you want me."

Adrian’s breath hitched. He wanted to say something clever, something to deflect the attention Knox was giving him, but his brain seemed to have short-circuited.

"I won’t force you into anything," Knox continued, his tone softer now, almost sympathetic. "But you don’t have to be ashamed. I’m an incubus. I’m very used to having this effect on people."

Right.

This was all normal for Knox. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing special.

Adrian swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He needed to regain control of the situation, or at least some semblance of it. "Look," he said, forcing his voice to steady, "we have a big day tomorrow. I have things I need to prepare."

Knox’s eyes searched his face for a moment before he nodded. "You’re right." He took a step back, giving Adrian some much-needed space. "I only wanted to check on you. You seemed uncomfortable earlier."

"Yeah," Adrian muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "All of this… it’s a lot."

"I understand. My allies and I can find other accommodations if necessary."

"No, it’s fine."

"As long as I put on those delightful ducky pajamas?"

"Yes." Adrian forced a smile. Looking at Knox now, he realized no outfit, no matter how ridiculous, would keep him from wanting to jump the demon. If he could just have a repeat of the morning with no questions asked…

"I will try not to make you uncomfortable again," Knox said. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Thank my grandmother."

"I shall."

Knox gave him one last lingering look before turning and leaving the room.

Adrian let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and sank onto his bed. He needed to focus—on the blog post, on the convention tomorrow, on anything but the way Knox made him feel.

Taking his laptop in hand, Adrian began to type: "Big News for All ‘Monsters of Veridia’ Fans! Meet the Real-Life Knox at Greenwood Convention!"

He paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard. How could he convey the gravity of the situation without sounding completely insane?

"I’m sure you’ve all seen the news on television. The Shadow King has entered our world, but he is not the only one! Knox, Lyrian and Zev will be there as well! If you’ve ever wanted to meet your heroes, now’s the chance! I know how absurd this sounds, but #ShadowSavior is trending, and I need you all to remember that Caelen draws magic from his followers. Don’t give him that kind of power! The people out there don’t know better, but we’ve read the book, we know what havoc the Shadow King could wreak on our world."

Adrian leaned back in his chair, reading his words again before he hit Publish .

He didn’t know if his readers would believe him. Even with all the weird occurrences being covered on television, it all seemed so impossible.

His phone buzzed a minute after he’d uploaded his post. Finally, Leon was online.

LiteraryLion: You’re really going to that convention? TheRealisticRomantic: Yes. Caelen needs to be stopped.

LiteraryLion: You think you’ll be more successful at the convention than you were on the bridge? Do you have a plan?

TheRealisticRomantic: The people on the bridge didn’t know Caelen like the fans at the convention will. Besides, we’ll be better prepared.

LiteraryLion: You’d better make sure to supercharge Knox tonight.

While Adrian was trying to come up with a good response to that, Daniel logged on.

BookBoyfriendLover69: You mean like that scene in chapter 145? You know, before his fight with the Blood Lord he slept with seven pure-hearted maidens.

TheRealisticRomantic: I’m not a pure-hearted maiden!

BookBoyfriendLover69: You could always roleplay.

LiteraryLion: This isn’t helpful. But Daniel has a point. In the story, Knox always has some extraordinary sex before he takes on a strong opponent.

Adrian bit his lower lip. He knew exactly how those scenes played out in the story. He’d jerked off to them more than a few times.

"I’ve got a handle on things," he lied, and then he closed the lid of his laptop.

Enough of that.

Knox stepped back into the living room where Lyrian and Zev were engaged in conversation.

"This is such a strange place we ended up in," Lyrian said, shaking his head. "It’s like being trapped in a dream. Nothing here makes sense."

Zev leaned back, his eyes scanning the mundane decor of the room. "Dream or nightmare, take your pick."

"Nightmares are your domain," Lyrian replied.

"Not this one."

Evelyn, ever the gracious host, offered the two of them a warm smile. "The world can be confusing for sure. Just takes some getting used to."

Knox nodded, sitting down on the couch. "Thank you again for offering us shelter."

Evelyn waved it off with a dismissive hand. "Think nothing of it, dear." She rose and excused herself to tidy up in the kitchen, leaving the trio alone.

Knox picked up the mug of ‘coffee’ he’d abandoned earlier. He sniffed it, but his mind was still stuck on Adrian. There was something about that mortal that was devastatingly distracting.

How hard would it be to break the walls he’d erected around himself?

If Knox gave him just a little push at the right time…

Maybe then he could touch Adrian with his hands rather than with his shadows.

He’d draw more power that way for sure. The taste of it would be even more intense. A thought that made Knox want to lick his lips.

The demon in him stirred.

"What’s on your mind?" Zev asked, eyeing him skeptically. It was likely he could tell where Knox’s thoughts had strayed. The two of them had worked together for too long.

"I need to charge up before I face Caelen again," Knox admitted. "All the power I amassed this morning is already gone. It’s difficult to hold on to magic in this world."

Lyrian made a face. "Not for the Shadow King, it seems."

Zev looked at Lyrian. "You seem to be doing all right, as well."

Lyrian tilted his head and thought about this for a second. "I’m a good singer without the magic, I suppose, and I draw magic from any listener who enjoys what they’re hearing. I can’t get as much here as I can get back home, but I’ll always be okay."

"Convenient." Zev seemed only a little bit jealous. He was a night fae, and as such, he had few ways to power up his magic that didn’t include feasting on souls or terrifying people with nightmares.

"Convenient is good," Lyrian said. "We’ll need to be prepared tomorrow." He turned to Knox. "How did you gather your magic this morning?"

"Adrian," Knox said simply.

Lyrian accepted this response without a hint of surprise. "Will he be available for you tonight or do we need to find you someone else? Maybe a few partners? We can’t be beaten again like we were on the bridge earlier today."

The memory of their earlier defeat stung like a fresh wound. Knox clenched his fists, feeling the familiar frustration bubbling up. "We won’t be," he promised. "I just need to draw more magic."

Zev raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

That was an excellent question and not one Knox had a ready answer for. He knew what he wanted to do, which was to go back into Adrian’s room and nail the mortal to the bed. He could take everything he needed from Adrian; he was sure of that. He was sure Adrian would enjoy it too—at least while he was in the throes of it.

It was what might come after that worried Knox.

He’d been with too many mortals who had a great time only until regret set in the next morning.

In the morning, Adrian would remember Knox’s true nature. The words Knox had read on his 'phone.'

"Knox?" Lyrian prodded gently. "Do you have an idea what to do?"

Knox took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I’m not sure about taking things any further with Adrian," he admitted.

Zev hummed, violet eyes narrowing in thought. "If you don’t want to use Adrian, we could go back to that club where Lyrian and I first emerged when we were stranded here. Plenty of people willing to have sex there." He pulled a slip of paper with a number written on it out of his pocket. "I acquired a few of these."

Knox suppressed a sigh. He couldn’t help but remember the brothel and how lifeless everyone there had felt to him. He’d gotten the same impression from the crowd he’d moved through on the bridge as well.

"It’s not that simple," he said. "People here… they feel different. Incompatible in a way that I can’t explain."

Lyrian leaned forward. "Why is that?"

Knox shrugged, frustration edging into his voice. "I don’t know." His gaze fell on Zev, who was studying him with an intensity that bordered on unsettling.

"What?" Knox demanded.

Zev’s expression remained thoughtful. "Don’t incubi pair-bond this way?"

Knox froze. That was… No. That was not what was happening here. Whatever was going on was due to the weird magic of this place, not because something inside of Knox had decided that he needed to have Adrian to the exclusion of all others.

"What are you talking about?" Lyrian asked.

"It’s about how incubi find their mates," Zev said. "Once they get a whiff of them they lose interest in everyone else until they’ve had sex with their chosen partner."

"My mate is not someone from a different world," Knox argued. This was ridiculous.

"Maybe it’s not coincidence that you arrived in this house," Zev challenged.

"But he already had sex with Adrian," Lyrian pointed out. "This morning."

"Exactly," Knox agreed, even though he knew that what he’d done with Adrian would not satisfy a forming mate bond if that was what this was.

Which it wasn’t.

Zev was giving him this look again as if he knew exactly what was on Knox’s mind, as if he knew that Knox was lying too. "Well," he said after a moment, "if you can’t draw magic from other people, he’s still your only option."

"I’ll figure something out," Knox said, hoping to put an end to this conversation. "Let me worry about my magic. I’ll be prepared tomorrow, I promise."

Evelyn chose that moment to return to the living room, carrying a plate piled high with cookies. "Anyone else want a snack?" she asked brightly. "These are Adrian’s favorites."

Knox accepted a cookie to be polite, but his appetite had vanished.

What was he going to do?

Caelen was out there, gathering energy and twisting the narrative in his favor, turning innocent people into his followers. If Knox didn’t act soon, the balance of power would tip in the Shadow King’s favor.

And if that happened…

Terrible things would happen to this world.

To Adrian’s world.

Could he risk that?

Oblivious to his thoughts, Evelyn settled in an armchair and turned the flickering picture box back on.

An annoyingly chipper brunette woman appeared on the screen.

"—and in other news," she said, "excitement is building for tomorrow’s Fantasy and Fiction Fest at the convention center in Greenwood. Organizers are expecting record attendance, thanks in part to the recent events on the Bay Bridge."

An image of the bridge, partially shrouded in shadow, filled the screen. Knox clenched his jaw, catching sight of his enemy.

"The mysterious figure who appeared on the bridge," the newscaster said, her voice hushed as if she were sharing a secret, "is rumored to be making an appearance at the convention. Many believe this figure to be connected to the popular Monsters of Veridia webnovel, which features a strikingly similar character."

The cover of a book flashed on the screen. Knox recognized it instantly: Adrian had a poster of it on his wall.

"Fans of the series," the newscaster said, "have been trying to uncover the identity of the author, who writes under the pseudonym ‘N.N,’ in the hopes that they might shed light on these recent events. So far, however, the author’s identity remains a mystery."

"I never thought so many people would take interest in that story," Evelyn mused. "Maybe I should read it one of these days. I love making Adrian blush by suggesting that. He doesn’t think I know what sex is, bless him."

Lyrian nibbled on a cookie. "How silly," he said. "The older they are, the more experienced, I like to say." He smiled a little too widely for Knox’s liking.

Evelyn smiled back at him. "Too experienced to fall for your charm, young man."

Content that Evelyn could fend for herself, Knox rose from the couch. "Excuse me a moment."

He’d fully intended to give Adrian some space, but now he couldn’t shake the need to take another look. Zev couldn’t be right.

Knox knocked gently on Adrian’s door before pushing it open. He found Adrian sitting at his desk, eyes glued to a device with a screen similar to the picture box called television.

"What are you doing?"

Adrian whirled around to him. "Just… uh… reading."

"Are you reading my story again?" Knox guessed.

Adrian adjusted his glasses nervously, and Knox caught himself thinking that he was adorable like that. So easily flustered.

"It’s alright that you’re reading," Knox said. "I just wonder about the fascination." He closed the door behind himself and stepped into the room.

Adrian looked back at his device. "It used to be a good way to escape."

"Escape from what?"

Adrian hesitated, seemingly struggling to find the right words to describe what he was feeling. "Veridia is such a different world from ours."

"True." Knox could not argue with that.

"I think that’s why I like it." A spark of enthusiasm lit up Adrian’s eyes. "I could read the story and imagine I was in a different world."

"You don’t like this one?"

"Do you?" Adrian shot back. "There is nothing magical about this world. You’ve noticed that too. It’s not like Veridia where anything can happen at any time. I loved reading about the Forest of Whispers, the Fields of Memories, the Night Court…"

Knox had to stop him there. "The Night Court is not a place to dream about. Once, maybe it was, but not anymore." A note of bitterness entered Knox’s voice. His family had served the Prince of the Night since long before his birth. Knox himself had punished and even executed countless people for the Court, never questioning his orders until they’d asked him to turn on Zev… all because Zev had loved someone he shouldn’t have.

Adrian looked at him as if he understood. "I know," he said, fingering the necklace he still wore. The necklace with the emblem of the Night Court. "It’s still hard for me to believe that it’s all real for you. For me it was only ever a place to escape." He glanced down at his necklace. "Should I take it off?"

"No, keep it. I still believe in everything the Night Court used to represent. That darkness should not hide from the light, that we should all live our lives according to our passions, that a life lived in moonlight is no less worthy…" He was tempted to reach out to Adrian again, to touch the pendant that hung from his necklace—to touch Adrian.

Adrian swallowed as if he could guess what was on Knox’s mind.

Maybe because it was on his mind as well.

"Tell me," Knox said. "When you read my story, is it only the scenery you admire?"

Adrian flushed, but he didn’t shy away from Knox’s gaze. "No. I like the characters too."

Knox smiled, listening to the fast beat of Adrian’s heart. "Which characters do you like?"

Adrian rose from his desk chair. "Lyrian. Zev." He licked his lips and approached. "You."

"What do you like about me?"

"Do you want the long version or the short version? Because I’ve written entire essays tackling that question."

Knox couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to tip Adrian’s chin up. He liked those hazel eyes, liked to see the play of emotions on Adrian’s face. "You called me a monster, and rightly so."

Adrian’s skin took on a brighter shade of red. "I didn’t mean it like that. Your flaws make you interesting. Perfect characters are boring."

"Oh?" Knox studied Adrian closely. "Do you still feel that way about me now that I’m not just a character in your story?"

Adrian stared at him. It seemed the answer didn’t come to him easily.

Of course not.

"Take your time to think about it." Knox let his hand sink to his side—he tried to, at least.

"No, wait!" Adrian caught his wrist. "I mean… I… What we did this morning. That was…"

"Yes?"

Adrian huffed a breath, apparently annoyed at his sudden lack of eloquence. "I liked that," he stressed finally.

"We could do more than that," Knox offered, because he very, very much wanted to do more than that.

Adrian’s heart beat incredibly fast now, and the scent of his desire hung heavy in the air between them, calling out to Knox’s every incubus instinct. He had his prey exactly where he wanted it.

Adrian’s lips parted to respond, but before he could speak, Evelyn’s voice cut through the tension between them.

"Adrian, dear, the workers are here!" she called out. "Time to get your room in order."

Knox’s eyes flicked toward the door, annoyance bubbling up at the interruption as he forced himself to step away from Adrian. "We’ll continue this later," he promised.

Adrian still seemed flustered, but he shook himself out of it, adjusting his glasses again. "It’ll be good to get the room fixed up," he murmured, glancing at the ceiling through which Knox had entered this world.

Knox hardly remembered the fall. He remembered looking up to see Adrian. Wrongly, he’d assumed that it was this strange new world that fascinated him so.

But it had been Adrian all along.