Forbidden Boys

by Chantal Cross

  Light glows from within my chest. It’s small at first, the size of a stone or a heart but it grows quickly. Soon, it’s so bright that I can’t see anything at all.

  My limbs feel heavy once more. My heart beats faintly beneath my ribs. I’m surrounded by warmth. It’s Seth.

  My eyes fly open. I take in the sight of his tearstained face as Seth kisses me.

  I kiss him back.

  “Ebony!” He blurts against my mouth. He pulls away to look at me. I smile up at him. “How is this possible?”

  “I don’t know.” Tears prick the backs of my eyes. I make no attempt to stop the tears from flowing.

  “I’m not going to question it.”

  He kisses me again. The chill of death seeps out of my body as he pours life into me. My heartbeat grows stronger and falls in time with his.

  “I heard everything you said,” I tell him between frantic, happy kisses.

  “What?” Seth pulls away just enough to look me in the eyes.

  “I don’t know how to explain it,” I stammer. “It’s like I was a spirit or something. I hovered above you. I heard everything you and Cordelia said.”

  “That’s incredible,” he says. “You know what Cordelia did to you?”

  “Yes, and I plan to deal with that later. Right now, I just want to be with you.”

  “I know you heard me say it before, but I need to repeat it now that you’re back.” Seth squeezes me close to him. “I’m so sorry, Ebony. I should’ve done more to protect you. I’ve failed you.”

  “No, you haven’t.” I reach up and cup his cheek in my hand. “You’re the only one who hasn’t failed me. You saved me. When you told me you love me, I said it back. You couldn’t hear me, but I think saying it out loud created some kind of spell. I was able to fight my way back to you.”

  “You said it back?” Seth’s face lights up.

  “Of course, I did!” I laugh. “I love you, Seth. I have for ages. I’m going to keep loving you no matter what Cordelia, Rhiannon or Glaw throw at us.”

  “I love you, Ebony.”

  He presses his lips to mine once more. I allow the rest of the world to fall away, wishing I could be lost in him like this forever.

  29

  Seth

  I’m striding past the headmaster’s office, thinking of nothing except Ebony. She loves me. I love her. I need to protect her.

  The attacks on her will continue as more people realize who she is.

  In her innocent form, anything could happen to her. Danger is lurking around every corner. I have to find her and keep her safe.

  The others are doing a pitiful job of it. I’ve tried to keep my distance—as difficult as that has been—but now I know I have to be with her every moment. It might be dangerous, but I think leaving her alone is worse.

  When it comes down to it, I can’t let her feel that I’ve abandoned her. The idea that something might happen to her and she thought I didn’t care—it’s more than I can take.

  I’m hurrying up the path when I—quite literally—run into Dorian.

  I can see by his face he’s not here for a friendly catch up.

  He doesn’t say a word, just charges at me with his fist up. I duck down, raising my arm to absorb the blow while I spin close towards him. I get a punch into his ribs, but he’s already turning away, and the blow glances off.

  We square up again, hands up and feet spaced apart. Dorian's face twists in hatred, and he comes at me again. I’m ready for it this time, and as my arm comes up to block, I get my other fist through his defenses and punch him right in the face.

  Dorian staggers back but forces himself forward and throws himself on me. I stumble against his weight, and we both go down in a heap.

  He gets the upper hand, kneeling on my guts and punching me repeatedly in the face. I take it for a few seconds while I get my breath back. Then I coil my stomach up and flip, throwing Dorian behind me.

  As I roll to my feet, I see him doing the same behind me. We stare at each other, pure hatred between us.

  I square up again, raising my deadly hands. I narrow my eyes, focusing on him. I wait for him to rush at me.

  The silence stretches, but I don’t budge. I know his anger is too high. He can’t control himself in this state.

  He takes two slow steps then charges at my side. I twist and manage to block, but he gets a fist into my face. I spin, grabbing him by the shoulder and hurling him towards the ground. He goes down, and I kick him in the guts as hard as I can. He tries to roll away, but I get in a few more kicks before he can jump to his feet.

  We stand a small distance apart, hands up. Both bleeding and bruised. Both ready for more.

  “I am the one who deserves her.” Dorian tries to hiss it at me in a threatening manner, but it comes out petulant. “I hate you, all of you. I can’t believe the mess you’ve made, chasing after your own selfish desires.”

  “And what about you?” I’m getting my breath under control, ready for another charge. “You seem to be servicing your own selfish desires just as much as we are.”

  He shakes his head and puts his arms down by his sides. His face is still full of fury, but his grin is wide and triumphant. My fists clench in anticipation.

  Dorian starts to glow with a dark light. It wraps around his arms like snakes and his pupils disappear as his eyes become black orbs. He laughs, a high, thin sound like striking a crystal glass.

  “You bastard.” My voice sounds like the deep-throated growl of a dangerous animal, and that’s exactly what I feel like. “You betrayed us!”

  Dorian grins again, flying at me. I try to avoid those glowing fists, keeping out of the way of the shadowy tendrils. I manage to land a few kicks to his midsection, but he doesn’t go down. I stay out of the way of his fists, but just barely.

  “You’ve gone mad!” I yell at him. “How could you ally with her! Envy has taken you over! You had such strength, such kindness in you. What happened, Dorian?”

  “I grew up. I gave away youthful fantasies. This is the way, the only way. She is eternal,” Dorian says with a gleam in his eyes.

  “This wasn’t the plan! We were supposed to stay brave and true; it was the only way to protect her! You swore, you made a sacred oath.”

  “And now, I have made another.” Dorian bares his teeth and the dark light leaks from his mouth. What the hell did she do to him?

  “You’re in the dark, now brother.” I feel a deep pity for him. “There is no salvation for you. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry for me!” Dorian screams. “Don’t you dare! You decided that being close to her was more important than your power. You gave it up so you could grow up with her as a brother. You should have kept to your vow, not to your sentimental desires. You bend the will of the world to your own. That is true weakness, brother.”

  I keep my fists up, my eyes on him.

  “I will happily be weak, if it keeps me by her side.”

  “There was no sacrifice on your part, was there?” Even though Dorian speaks conversationally, his stance is firm and ready for attack. I think he’s getting distracted and I only need one opening.

  I start to shift forward, an inch at a time. As I suspected, he’s too mad to notice. His fine warrior instincts have been blunted by the dark energy.

  I know it’s all over if he touches me with one of those dark fists.

  “You couldn’t do the right thing. You swore to make a sacrifice, and you did not.” Dorian speaks softly but with a hard edge.

  “Was I the only one who broke my word? Was I the only one who could not uphold the discipline of my vow?”

  “That doesn’t matter. At least, not right now.” Dorian crosses his forearms, the light intensifying. “I’m not talking to them. I’m talking to you. No one else dared to bring her the apple in the tower. I did it. I made sure she was pricked. Me. It was all me.”

  My anger rises, and I control it, keeping the blooming red wave in my chest. My mouth twists. My fists clench
and start to ache.

  I wait for him to open his mouth again. Clearly, he’s got a lot to say, and he doesn’t want to kill me until he gets it all out.

  I have no such qualms. I just want to get to Ebony. I feel like I’m already too late.

  Dorian gives a smarmy smile as he starts to speak. I spring hard off my back foot, launching at him. My right arm jabs out, slipping through his armpit and grabbing him around the shoulder. I drag him towards me, delivering a series of hard punches to his stomach. He falters under the blows, and I keep it coming.

  He tries to stagger away, but I don’t let him go. One fist comes up, and I block it easily, tossing his arm away so I can keep punching him.

  I cock my arm back and slam my fist into his solar plexus. As I demolish the nerve center, he starts shaking like he’s had an electric shock. I smash him again, right in the chest. His eyes flicker, the black film running away as he starts to fall.

  Dorian hits the ground hard, skull bouncing on the concrete. The dark power just bleeds away, and before he can recover, I leap high, bring down my fist with the full weight of my body.

  I slam my fist into his throat. He spits out a breath full of blood. He jerks on the ground once or twice.

  I don’t stop to check. I don’t care. He’s done. No one can survive a series of punches like that.

  He’s dying. It’s over.

  Dorian coughs up a pile of blood. He writhes on the ground. I take two steps back. I know his breastbone is shattered; his throat is so damaged he can’t draw breath through it. In spite of all of this, he’s trying to reach into his pocket.

  He pulls out a small stone. It seems to glow with a dull light. He holds it reverently in one hand, using the other to wipe some blood off his lips. Tracing gently, he draws a rune on the stone.

  It starts to hum, purple flame searing around its edges. I feel a sick horror as my guts twist inside me.

  Dorian laughs a little, choking on his own blood.

  “I’m surprised, my brother.” The words force themselves out through his ruined throat. “You should have summoned him already, with your wrath.”

  He laughs some more, and it must pain him terribly. Clearly, showing me his mirth and triumph is more important than preserving his last moments. Dorian doesn’t care about the pain he’s in, or the fact his life is dimming.

  Even though blood sprays from his lips and his chest rattles, he lets the laugh go on.

  “Watch,” he says. “I’ve already won.”

  I wait for it to stop. Finally, it does, winding down into a sick gurgle as his own blood fills his chest and his throat. He drowns.

  I look him over one last time, making sure he is dead.

  30

  Ebony

  Dorian’s body is placed on the pyre. After Seth and I rejoined the others, I learned of his death. Even now, as I watch the oil being poured over his body, I can’t decide how I feel.

  Dorian was a snake and a traitor before he passed. He allowed himself to be lured in by the siren song of the demon Queen. Yet, he was a fearsome warrior and an unshakable ally to me in my past lives. Surely, that part of his long life should be honored while recent dark events should be lost to time. It’s for that reason that I made a bundle of my own for the pyre. Elmwood sticks, juniper branches, and little fig blossoms to help him find peace in the next life.

  As headmaster, it’s Leo’s job to light the pyre. He says a few words on Dorian’s behalf, but I hardly listen. I know Headmaster Leo is in league with Rhiannon. I can’t trust him or anything he says. He drops the torch and flames greedily lick at the oil on the pyre. I watch as my bundle catches fire.

  “Is he gone for good?” I whisper.

  “I’m not sure,” Kashton answers. “Remember what I told you about magic constantly changing and evolving like a living creature? Dorian was an unnatural being fueled by magic. Who knows how it’s affected him?”

  “Doesn’t that mean you’re an unnatural being too?” I ask.

  “All seven of us have made ourselves unnatural for you,” Kashton says.

  “I can’t believe I asked such a thing of you.” I lower my gaze to the floor.

  “You didn’t,” Gabriel cuts in. He and I haven’t had a chance to really speak since I found out about everything. We will though, I’m sure of it.

  “When you took your own life, you made us swear to follow through on the promise we made,” Lucien says. “In order to do that, we performed a ritual that would extend our lives for as long as we are needed.”

  “I wish you hadn’t,” I bristle.

  “You don’t mean that,” Seth says gently. He’s right. I don’t. I’m still angry that my past lives and their identities were kept secret from me for so many years. That anger is going to take some time to work through.

  Seth snakes his fingers through mine. I give his hand a squeeze and take a deep breath.

  “We wanted to do it,” Lucien adds quietly. “We believed in you. We still believe in you.”

  “Not all of you.” My gaze narrows in on headmaster Leo. He’ll have to be dealt with.

  “No, not all of us,” Kashton says softly.

  The flames lick at Dorian’s body until they swallow him whole.

  “Do you think we could’ve done something?” I ask. “If I’d known who I was sooner, could we have saved him?”

  “I don’t think so,” Gabriel says. “Rhiannon’s power is seductive. It’s hard to break her hold once she has you. You’re the only person to do it successfully and, even then, you had to take your own life.”

  I want to believe he’s telling the truth, but I can’t shake the feeling that I could’ve done something for Dorian if I’d known sooner.

  We stand together until Dorian’s pyre burns down to ash. I allow a few tears to fall. Seth never lets go of my hand.

  “We should go,” Ivora says softly. “His ashes will be gathered and taken away to be blessed and scattered on a southern wind. There’s nothing more for us to do.”

  “All right,” I nod. I turn away from the pyre with Seth and Ivora flanking me. Ivora winds her arm through mine. She uses her wings to lift herself off the ground so that she’s tall enough for me to rest my head on her shoulder as we walk. Seth wraps his arm around my waist.

  There’s a small reception in the school’s foyer for students and professors to gather and remember Dorian. I wonder how the other students think he passed. I don’t see Professor Glaw. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.

  Gabriel and Lucien head for the refreshment table without a word. A shadow of a smile flickers at my mouth as I watch them. They’re trying to hard not to get close to each other despite the size of the table.

  “Ebony,” a familiar voice brings my rage back in a rush. Cordelia appears before me. Her black gown is simple and elegant. She wears a dark flower in her hair with netting that falls over her face. The only spots of color are her ruby red lips and the ruby spider brooch pinned to her gown. The sight of it makes me shudder.

  Seth tightens his grip on me. Ivora rustles her wings in warning.

  “There’s no need for that” Cordelia’s smile is soft and demure. “I’m here as an ally and a friend if you’ll have me.”

  “Leave us, please,” I instruct Ivora and Seth. Both hesitate before they walk away.

  “We’ll be nearby if you need us,” Seth murmurs in my ear.

  Cordelia waits for them to move away before she speaks to me.

  “I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Cordelia starts, but I don’t allow her to continue.

  “No, actually. I don’t. Even if I did, you’d be the last person I ask.”

  “I understand your anger. It’s justified.”

  “I’m so glad I have you to tell me it’s okay to be angry,” I scoff.

  “You’ve been spending too much time with Lucien,” Cordelia tuts.

  “Luckily, it’s not your place to have an opinion on what I do with whom anymore.”

  “I und
erstand your anger, but it’s not necessary.” Cordelia lifts a hand. Even the rings on her jeweled fingers are set with black stones.

  “If you don’t think it’s necessary then you don’t understand it,” I snap. I’m careful to keep my voice low, so I don’t draw any unwanted attention. Maybe I did learn a thing or two from Cordelia after all.

  “Please, let me try-“

  “No,” I cut in. “You don’t get to ask me for anything. I don’t care what you have to say. You’re nothing to me, Cordelia. Do you understand that?”

  “I raised you!” Cordelia hisses.

  “No, you didn’t. You kept me prisoner in your home until you brought me here to kill me.”

  “That wasn’t my intention,” she stammers.

  “Don’t lie to me,” I sigh. “You’re not good at it, and I know everything. You would’ve drowned me in my cradle, remember?”

  Cordelia’s face goes pale.

  “Suddenly, you have nothing to say. Interesting. Goodbye Cordelia. This will be is the last time we ever speak.” I push past her and walk over to Seth.

  “Are you all right?” He asks.

  “I feel better,” I nod.

  “What did she say to you?”

  “I didn’t give her the chance to say anything. She’s no longer a part of my life.”

  “Mine either,” Seth agrees.

  “Elderbloom tart?” Lucien appears at my side with a little cake on a napkin. My first instinct is to refuse, but the tart looks incredible.

  “I harvested the Elderblooms,” Ivora chimes in.

  “In that case, I have to try one,” I laugh. I pop the tart in my mouth. It’s divine. The more I eat, the less tense I feel.

  “There’s magic in this, isn’t there?” I ask.

  “Just a little,” Ivora says sheepishly. “It’s in all of the tarts. It’s a teeny little spell meant to ease the pain of grief. Funeral food is supposed to make people feel better.”

  “You did a fantastic job, Ivora,” I say. She beams under my praise.