Heaven's Fury: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Pandorax Academy Book 2)

by Ember Hollis

  Briley releases a choked sob as she reaches her hand to one of the cuts and nods.

  Half of me is relieved she believed me, since I’m not sure I could actually hurt her even though she’d hurt me so badly before, and the other half of me is glorifying in the fact that if I really do want to hurt her… I can actually do it.

  “Good. Now go.”

  She dashes off, and I sigh as I stroke the tiny feather in my hand. Though it had been deadly sharp just a second ago, it feels as soft as a dandelion seed now that I will it to be so.

  “Brava. That was quite the display, I must say. You look like you’re enjoying your new powers, poppet.”

  I look up to see Knox standing in front me. He’s wearing an all black version of our school uniform, and his eyes blaze like green fire in the murky darkness. Somehow, I’m not surprised to see him. I’ve been dodging him for weeks, dreading what he’d do to me for making Sybil turn him into stone, but now that he’s right in front of me, I find that I’m not as afraid of him as I used to be.

  Having razor wings really does make a difference.

  “Here to get your revenge?” I ask him, feeling my feathers sharpen silently.

  To my surprise, Knox shakes his head. “Not just yet.”

  He steps forwards to take my hands, and after a moment of stiff surprise, I let him lead me into the dance again.

  “Then when?” I ask.

  “When you stop being so entertaining,” he smiles, giving me a hungry look. “When you first came here, I thought you’d be like all the other angels,” he tells me. “Self-righteous and arrogant, yet always eager to please the Big Guy, no matter what it costs,” his lips twist into a bitter smile momentarily, before it smooths into a knowing look. “But you’re not like all the other angels, are you, poppet?”

  He reaches out behind my back and plucks one of my feathers from right between my shoulder blades, causing me to gasp in pain. Tears spring to my eyes and I struggle not to let them fall.

  That had hurt a lot more than I’d thought it would! I reach behind me to sooth the spot, but before I reach it, Knox’s hand is already there, plucking another feather, somehow avoiding it’s sharpened edge. This time, the pain is mixed with a strange sort of pleasure that makes me arch my back and press myself against him. He chuckles and presses his palm against the sensitive spot, making me sigh in relief. I still glare at him though, and reach behind me to grab a razor feather or two, but before I can, he catches my hands and presses a kiss to the back of each of them, before leaning in to touch his cheek against mine.

  “There’s a little more… substance to you now, isn’t there?” he whispers. The feel of his breath against my skin makes me shiver with unexpected delight. Though my back still hurts, the pain is actually starting to feel strangely satisfying and.. titillating. I turn my face slightly, and my nose brushes against his smooth cheek. Desire sweeps through me, not the kind of desire that Christian makes me feel, which I understand to be mostly lust. What I feel now is something darker, more intense. It’s like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, staring deep into unending darkness as it calls to me. I feel the temptation to go further, explore deeper, and envelope myself in the smooth, velvety cocoon of insatiable sin that Knox seems to carry around him.

  “A little depth to the blandness of what you’re supposed to be. I’ve been watching you, you know,” he continues. His hand keeps massaging the sensitive area between my wings, completely transforming the pain into a liquid sensation of warmth and desire that drips down my body to pool between my legs. “From the very beginning. And I think that you’re starting to get much… more… fascinating.”

  I stare up at him as he smiles a slow, intimate smile that lets me know he can tell I’m thinking all sorts of dirty thoughts right now, and that no matter how embarrassed I might be about it, or how wrong I feel it should be, he has no such qualms about it. Quite the opposite in fact.

  Slowly but firmly, without breaking eye contact with me, Knox presses a hand against the small of my back, pushing me forward so that my breasts press hard against his chest. I tilt my head back, and he lowers his fraction by fraction as we dance, until he finally captures my lips with his.

  Knox’s kiss is luscious, and dark, and deep. I can already tell he isn’t as generous as Christian is, and that he’s far more presumptuous than Bane. His kiss is hungry and demanding and selfish, and he plunders my mouth with the intention and purpose of a starving man faced with a banquet.

  “You’ve tasted unicorn blood, haven’t you?” he asks me when we finally part, both panting for breath. “And not even the pure kind. The Dark and tainted kind. I can see it in your eyes, taste it on your skin. Such a lovely bouquet of contradictions,” he traces a finger down the front of my blouse, flicking the buttons so that they fall open to expose the tops of my breasts. “Of Light and Dark.”

  I gulp, incredibly turned on by the feel of his hands on me. When I look around, I see that we’ve danced away from the others in the Ballroom, and into a sheltered alcove hung with heavy curtains. The beat of the music and rustle of the crowd is still audible, but we’re far enough away that no one can see or hear us.

  “How did you know?” I gasp as my top falls completely open, leaving nothing between my breasts and Knox’s lips but my bra. He unhooks it expertly, then nuzzles the top of one quivering mound, licking it slowly as he looks up at me with his jewel-bright eyes.

  Should I push him away? But it feels so good. I hover between pushing him away and urging him on, until Knox makes the decision for me.

  “How can I not know?” he says, pushing me backward so that I stumble back to fall onto a divan that I hadn’t realized was there. Knox pulls off his tie and shrugs out of his shirt, before reaching for his pants.

  “Wait,” I gasp, “What are you doing?”

  “We’re going to have sex,” he says simply. “What else would we be doing?”

  “But the dance, the class… everybody’s right there,” I protest, glancing at them between a crack in the curtains.

  “I could make it an orgy,” Knox cocks his head, “If that’s what you prefer.” He starts to turn away, but I reach out and stop him.

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said. “I’m not sure I want to do this right here and now…”

  Or with you.

  Unbeckoned, Bane, Christian, and Noah’s face appear in my mind’s eye, reminding me that sooner or later, I’m supposed to be doing it with someone, anyway.

  So why not just do it now?

  Well, I hardly know Knox, I try to rationalize. Plus, he’s the one who took my powers away from me. Though he had also apparently given it back to me when I needed it. I pause to ponder this, wondering what I should think.

  Knox eyes me impatiently. “What difference does it make, doing it today, or in a few day’s time?”

  He slides a hand up my skirt and starts to caress me expertly, sliding his fingers under my underwear to rub against that special spot until I’m soaked and dripping.

  “It makes a… a difference because…” I struggle as my mind blanks out under his attentions. Knox smiles knowingly and reaches down to unzip his pants, releasing something that makes me draw a deep breath. He lifts me fully onto the divan, then bends over me, stroking himself smoothly, in perfect time with the movement of his other hand between my legs. I let my head loll back and moan at how good it feels. It seems like every time someone touches me like this, I get aroused more and more easily, craving the sweet ache even more now that I know what it feels like. Though I can’t make a rational decision now, my body knows exactly what it wants. More.

  “Oh,” I gasp, when Knox pulls back a moment later. “Why did you stop?”

  “Fair is fair, Heaven, wouldn’t you agree?” he says, turning around on the couch so that we’re lying parallel, but facing opposite sides. I gulp at the sudden view of him in all his glory, but I don’t have much time to admire him, because Knox lowers his mouth unhesitatingly to the slit bet
ween my legs. I gasp at the sensation of his tongue on me, then, after a moment’s hesitation, reach out to gently encircle him with my fingers and palm.

  After a few strokes of my hand, Knox moves himself again so that his member is even closer to me, brushing up against my cheek and mouth. I gasp at the velvety smooth feel of it, and Knox wastes no time in guiding his member between my lips, sliding it deep into my mouth.

  There’s nothing to do then, but to pleasure him as he’s pleasuring me.

  Knox’s fingers plunge greedily into me even as he pleases himself with my mouth, and I can’t help but moan almost continuously as he licks and rubs and teases the nub between my legs. The sensation of him penetrating me with his fingers while he pumps himself in and out of my mouth is unbelievably arousing, and I’m so overcome by it that I simply allow Knox to do what he wants, which suits the Horseman just fine. Steadily and expertly, he slides himself smoothly against my tongue and lips, filling my whole mouth thoroughly. I struggle to adapt and caress him with my tongue, marveling at his shape and size, as the taste of salt and something else that’s entirely him spreads through my tastebuds. I’ve never felt so aroused, or so… ravished… before, and I shudder to think of how I look, with him plundering me so vigorously at both ends.

  Soon, I’m close to the edge. Knox seems to know instinctively, and quickens the pace of both his fingers and thrusts. Before I know it, my hips are jerking and I’m straining against him, as wave upon wave of pleasure carries me away into a place of exquisite pleasure. Knox is close too, and just after I come, he thrusts hard into my mouth, pumping himself so deeply into me that I find it hard to breath. Hot jets spurt at the back of my throat, and I swallow reflexively, unable to avoid it.

  We lie still for a moment, still connected. Then Knox pulls out, stands up and begin to dress. I lie on the pillows, feeling so lax that I can barely move from where he left me. But though my body is satiated, my mind is reeling as the reality of what just happened sinks in.

  Oh my God… what have I done?

  Yet, as horrified and shocked as part of me feels, another part of me feels… liberated. How could anything that feels so good be all that wrong?

  Slowly, I get up onto my elbows and begin to dress. When I’m done, Knox stands me before him and helps me straighten my hair and clothes.

  “You may be an angel, but you’re ravishing,” Knox tells me, before he dabs a finger against my mouth to wipe away a bit of his come. “Lie with me during Bacchadelia,” he says with a kiss. “And it will be even better than this, I promise.”

  Chapter 18: Heaven

  The day of the Masquerade arrives in seemingly no time, as if someone fast-forwarded all the clocks in the castle without me noticing it. I get ready with Sybil in our room, joined by an over-enthusiastic Amelie who isn’t in the least bit shy about how many suitors she’s got on her dance card, and Meg, who’s turned out to fit right in with us.

  “—and then there’s Raphael, who’s incredibly dull but also a grandson of a titan, so we know there’s something to look forward too,” she winks lasciviously at me while holding her hands approximately one foot apart, “And Sebastian, who’s a relative of yours I believe,” she turns to Sybil, “From what I’ve heard, he has an amazingly dexterous forked tongue!” she rolls her eyes up into her head, making an expression of exaggerated bliss while Sybil pulls a face at me and Meg laughs. “Then Hyun Bin who’s a pure bred inmyeonjo—I’ve never done it while flying before, but I’ll tell you how it goes in case you want to experiment,” she giggles hysterically, nudging me, “And then there’s—”

  “Amelie,” I say, since Sybil won’t stop making faces behind her back to chip in, and Meg is hard at work sewing up a seam that’s come undone on her skirt. “Just how many guys are you dancing with tonight?”

  “As many as I can fit in, silly,” she laughs, waving a hand like I’ve just asked a silly question. “You forget, I’ve had to sit on the side lines and miss out on two whole sessions before this. I’ve tried to make up for it, but nothing beats the raw energy of Bacchanalia. Besides, Pandora said the school needs our help, so I’m really just doing my duty for the good of the school aren’t I?”

  I nod helplessly, wondering why girls like Amelie manage to maintain their popularity even though they sleep with every other boy they meet, while I get called a whore and harassed when I’d barely done anything with anyone.

  Not that that was true any longer, I realize with a blush.

  Sure, neither Knox nor Christian and I had gone all the way… but we might as well have. And… if things kept going the way they’d been going, we just might be about to. Well… two of us, not all three of us.

  Unbidden, an image of Knox, Christian and I tumbling around on a massive bed while a naked Bane looks on crosses my mind, causing me to choke slightly.

  Bad Heaven, very bad Heaven!

  “So Heaven, who are you dancing with?” Amelie asks in a knowing, sing song voice as I cough discreetly and help lace her into her gown. She looks like a flower in full bloom, with cascades of cream, pink and red ruffles spilling down from her almost too tight bodice, and spotted black netting from a flowery fascinator as her mask. The sight of her tiny waist and breasts about to pop out of the top of her corset makes me wonder if I should have gone for a more flamboyant or sexy outfit. But when I look down at the gently wafting butterflies and feel the floaty soft tulle of my skirt, I find that I don’t really have any regrets.

  “Uhm,” I bite my lip, reluctant to tell her. “Just a few, I think.”

  “If you can’t remember, we can check your card,” Meg says helpfully, scooping up a little box that had magically appeared in my room this morning, along with a mask that had morphed into a gold filigreed butterfly wing shape to match my dress the moment I picked it up.

  “Wait—” I say, grabbing for it, but before I get to it, Amelie snatches it out of Meg’s hand and scans the short list.

  “By Zeus,” she says, gesturing to the other girls. “She’s got three of the Horsemen on her card!”

  “Really?” Sybil slithers over to have a look, while Meg stares at me open-mouthed.

  Traitors. I roll my eyes as they gasp over the names, though Sybil is more horrified than impressed.

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed or something? Bane and Christian are bad enough, but Knox too?”

  I stare at her speechlessly for a moment, before shrugging helplessly. I hadn’t even known Knox was one of my suitors, since I hadn’t opened the box or looked at my own dance card yet. But considering what we’d done a few days prior and how he’d asked me to sleep with him during Bacchadelia… I’m not too disappointed. Though this whole magic agreement thing is quite dodgy, I decide, as a furious blush rages across my cheeks. “It just… sort of happened.”

  “Well,” Amelie fans herself furiously with my card while her cheeks burn with what I can only guess is excitement. “Well, Heaven… if you could only get Malek in on it… four Horsemen and you… well, that’s something I’d pay to see. Or to join, though I doubt they’d let me.” She winks heavily at me, then cackles at the top of her voice like a deranged witch.

  “Amelie!” I exclaim, outraged. “Are you out of your mind? How can you even think that?”

  Hypocrite.

  “Never say never!” the insatiable ex-Unicorn Whisperer crows, before she grabs my mask and shoves it into my hand. “Come on, girls, stop dilly dallying, let’s get this enchantress where she needs to be!”

  Amelie and Meg returns my card and case to me while I catch a glimpse of Sybil stuffing her own case into her bosom with a blush. The lamia is dressed like a cyberpunk pirate in a white, ruffled off-the-shoulder top, a flowing black velvet skirt with a wide leather corset belt, hand braces, a fake gold gun in a holster by her side to match the masses of gold chains around her neck, and an over-sized pair of leather goggles to conceal her identity. Together with Meg, who’s donned a short harlequin black and white dress with red diamonds under her
eyes, black elbow length gloves, and a pure white mask that covers one half of her face, we certainly look like a motley bunch.

  Together, we fasten our masks over our faces, then run down the hallway outside our room to join the throng heading to the underground Ballroom.

  When we reach the entrance at the top of the stairs, I get my first real glimpse of the Ballroom in all its glory, and I can’t help gasping at the magnificent sight.

  Now that it’s properly cleaned and lit, I see that it’s way, way bigger than I’d realized before, with dazzling gold-veined marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and stained glass windows lining its walls. Luscious bowers made from creeping vines and sweet-blooming flowers and trees provide comfortable places to sit, and all along the sides of the Ballroom are murmuring channels of water that run over glittering crystal stones. The altar that I’d been forced onto is no longer in sight, instead buffet tables are scattered here and there, weighed down with every type of food and drink imaginable.

  “There are underground grottoes and passageways that lead off from here to the grounds and other parts of the castle too,” Amelie tells me while I gape. Sybil, who’s apparently seen all of this before, leads the way down the stairs, looking so mysterious and dashing that heads turn as we descend. I follow quickly after her, while Meg and Amelie bring up the rear.

  Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, I immediately spot Noah, resplendent in an all black outfit with gold scrolling, a matching cape, sombrero, and a bandana and eye mask. In his hands are a bull whip and rapier that he twirls absently round and round. It takes a couple of seconds for me to place his character, but as soon as I do, I sneak up behind him and whisper in a low, threatening voice, “Do you even know how to use that thing?”

  Noah whips around and for a moment he freezes as he looks me up and down. Then he whips his rapier through the air in a zigzag pattern in Zorro’s signature move, “Yes! The pointy bit goes into the other man!”