Five: Out of the Pit (Five #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Incubus… was levitating over me. I couldn’t move, except my head, just a little bit.”
    “What happened? What did he do to you?” His voice was rough.
    I fought back tears as I explained to him in a shamed whisper what happened. How he’d clouded my mind again, made me want him, and finally, how I’d fought to escape the paralysis. “I don’t understand Joe, it was so real. How could it have been so real if he wasn’t really here?”
    Joe took a deep breath and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’s called a
waking dream
, Paige. He’s a man with Demon blood. He can do things that are beyond human explanation. He was definitely here; but only for you. He attached himself to your… essence, I guess. That’s why he so easily incapacitated you.
    “There is one thing I want to make sure you understand, without a doubt. The feelings he stirs up in you… the desire you feel for him… that’s his power. It’s what he is and what he does and he’s likely had centuries to perfect it. You, Paige, are amazingly strong. Out of a million females, you are likely the only one that would have the strength to resist him. I’d be willing to bet you are his first conquest out of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of women who has been able to resist him. As amazing as that is, and as proud as I am of you for your strength… I’m afraid that, by so resisting him, you’ve been marked as a conquest he must defeat. He won’t leave you alone until either you succumb, or he’s destroyed.”
    “Then let’s destroy him.”

he regular tourist season in Moab had ended, but they were used to seeing large groups of people from all around the world. No one seemed to pay much attention to the six of us as we purposefully strode down the main street of the small town. The exhaustion I’d felt as we trudged across the rocks and sand on the way in to town had now been replaced by the adrenaline of the hunt.
    “Paige’s connection to the Incubus will be the easiest way to find him,” Joe explained. Even though he talked in a hushed voice, I worried someone nearby would overhear him and think we were all crazy. “Let us know if you feel his presence, Paige.”
    “Okay, I guess. If I feel anything unusual, I’ll let you know.”
    The breeze wafted a wonderful smell in our direction.
    “Mmm. Italian food,” Alec said. I swear I could hear his mouth watering. “Uhh, Joe? Do you think we could maybe eat there? Maybe that beautiful waitress with the short dress and long legs could tell us where we might find Paige’s friend.”
    “How do you know what the waitress looks like? We’re outside. And, if you call that Demon my friend again I’ll make your lips swell to the size of a basketball.”
    “Sorry, sorry! The waitress is standing outside by the entrance. They have an outside seating area. So, Joe, whadya say? Italian?”
    Joe inhaled slowly. “It does smell delicious, doesn’t it? And, it isn’t a bad idea to question some beautiful women about our
enemy
. If anyone has encountered him, it would be one of them.”
    “So… is that a ‘yes’?” Seth asked hopefully.
    “Yes. We’ll eat at…” he paused, “Pasta Jays. It does smell delicious.”
    Johnathan held my hand as the hostess led us to our table out on the patio. The breeze had a little bite to it, but the sun shone just enough to keep the edge off. It felt like a beautiful day.
    Johnathan pulled my chair out for me and helped me sit. He sat on one side of me and Halli on the other. I oriented myself to the layout of the table. My fingers found the linen napkin folded in front of me. I placed it on my lap and felt for the silverware on my right. Johnathan leaned over and whispered, “There’s an empty water glass just back and to the left of your silverware.”
    Our waitress arrived and introduced herself. “I’m Mariah. I’ll be your waitress today. Can I start you off with some drinks?”
    We all opted for water and she quickly returned to