Ascending Into Light (Descending Series Book 2)

by Alainna MacPherson

  She glared back at him, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly.

  Reaching her, Fallon didn’t bother greeting her, instead he growled, “Did you tell her?”

  She didn’t answer, instead just continued to glare up at him, not giving him an inch.

  Cursing under his breath again, he turned away quickly, a hand going up to rake his fingers through his hair. Then, suddenly turned back around, dropping his hands to his hips, looking anxious.

  “What did you say?”

  Surprised, Alyss nearly let her guard down, arms loosening for a second before she caught herself and promptly strengthened them again, telling him, “That you took her with you to the ball.”

  Mulling that over, Fallon started to think it wasn’t that bad. But then Alyss opened her mouth to say, “And that you didn’t want her to know about it.”

  Frozen now, Fallon slowly closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. Then, turning to look at Kaer, who still stood at the wall, told him, “I’m going to see her.”

  Kaer nodded, calling to him as he walked away, “I’ll call Cormac!”

  Rounding Alyss, Fallon stomped over to the storage room, opening and slamming the door hard behind him.

  Fallon didn’t have to wait long before the Unseelie prince stepped through, looking irritated.

  Coming up short by Fallon’s nearness, he glared at the male. “You know, I’m not at your beck and call. I—“

  Fallon snarled at him, a deep animal sound, barring his fangs at him.

  Eyes snapping wide, irritation swamped over by fear that he wasn’t afraid to admit, Cormac clamped his mouth shut.

  Nodding fast, eyes closed as he shrugged nonchalantly, “Yeah, you’re right. You can call me anytime,” he said quickly.

  Turning, he led the way through the portal.

  Jessandra laid in the dark stretched out on her bed, face smooshed into the quilted bedspread that was softer than anything she’d ever felt in her life. She wondered if it was made with the silk of some enchanted butterflies. Or was it caterpillars?

  Groaning at her inner thoughts, she couldn’t believe this was what her brain thought of to help distract her. It wasn’t doing a very good job of it either. The quilt’s warmth only made her think of Fallon’s touch, how it nearly burned her.

  Sighing in frustration she rolled over, slapping the pillow over her face and then groaned again, this time muffled.

  A sharp knock at the door had her jerking upright, the pillow falling to the floor. Hair disheveled, eyes round with surprise, she called to the door, “Who is it?”

  She jumped off the bed when Fallon jerked open the door and stepped inside, quickly shutting it behind him.

  Both standing there, staring at one another, neither said anything for a minute.

  Fallon broke the silence first, “Cormac is outside,” he explained. Rolling his eyes, he finished, “Watching.”

  She only nodded, still confused.

  Taking a hesitant step closer, he watched her carefully. “How are you?” He asked.

  Hurt suddenly took residence over the shock on her face. She looked down at the floor, not really seeing it. “Alright, I guess.”

  Stopping, he frowned at her sadly, pressing his lips together, her pain making his heart ache.

  “I had to take her, Jessandra,” he told her apologetically.

  She nodded, though he knew she didn’t understand, at least not in her heart.

  Slowly, he stepped even closer to her, the toes of his boots touching her bare feet. Looking up at him, she caught his gaze, which he held steady as he lifted a hand to his mouth, biting the tip of his glove, pulling it off, and repeated it with the other, letting the leather fall to the floor.

  Then, keeping his eyes locked with hers, he reached a bare hand to rub the back of his fingers down her soft cheek.

  The warmth in the small touch sent shivers through her. She closed her eyes and relished in the sensation of it coursing over her.

  When he spoke, though, she fought hard to pry her eyes back open.

  “It was only for show, darling,” he told her.

  Truly understanding this time, she nodded, smiling softly. He smiled back, examining her beautiful features. Cupping her cheek this time, he leaned down a slowly caressed her lips with his. It was feather light at first, then again, only slightly heavier.

  Pulling away, he looked down at her, heat in his eyes as he watched her. There was only a split second’s hesitation before she reached up to wrap her hand around the back of his neck as she pulled him down and lifted herself up on her toes to draw his mouth back to hers, this time harder, with more purpose.

  Taking in a deep breath, he breathed her in as he guided her mouth to open, meeting his tongue with hers. She groaned in delight, reaching up with her other hand to steady herself on his chest, he wrapped his arms around her waist, anchoring her to him.

  His warming skin was like a welcoming blanket surrounding her. Teeth clicked one another as they tried to get impossibly closer. With him supporting her, she hoisted herself up to wrap her legs around his hips. His wings were tucked high up his back, giving her space to touch, to cling, to admire.

  Yanking at the velcro tabs on his shirt, she slipped her hands underneath, grabbing hanks of undershirt up his back to get to bare skin. Pressing her hands on his velvety back and shoulders, the runes appeared in earnest, a happy light show as she touched him.

  He slowly lowered her onto the bed, running his hand down the length of her body, it arched up towards his hand as he did, asking for more.

  Tugging at his shirts, she silently demanded that he remove them. Sitting up, he pulled them both over his head, the last of the Velcro separating with a loud riiip. He tossed them to the floor with the gloves before he reached for the hem of hers, working it up. Wiggling and arching slightly, she helped him remove it, joining his on the ground.

  He paused for a moment, breath seesawing out of his chest as he took in the sight of her. Braless, he had full view of her gorgeous breasts. Peaches and cream skin with rose dusted nipples, which he had to kiss softly, each one, with a faint lick with the tip of his tongue before reaching down for her pants, the elastic making the job elementary. He took her underwear with it.

  With a hand on his fly, she halted when he nudged her thighs apart, just slightly, to look at her. Shyness made her still under his observing eye. Sensing her unease, he looked up at her from hooded eyes, smiling appreciatively.

  Leaning down to kiss her, tangling his tongue with hers, he petted her wet folds. She moaned and arched up, telling him not to stop.

  For a moment he was relentless, running his thumb around the rim of her opening before finding the sensitive nub and using just the right pressure as he rubbed it, making her pant a little in his ear.

  Before she peaked though, he stopped, softly brushing his hand over her thigh before he pulled away, taking over the job of undoing his fly and removing his trousers.

  More runes swirls around his hips and curled around the base of his penis, void of any hair there, the sight of him made the air catch in her chest. His magnificence took her breath away.

  She was still entranced by the art running up and down his body when he ran his hand down her hip to her thigh, then around to lift her leg up and around his waist, holding it there. Following his lead, she did the same with her other leg. He stared at her intently, watching for her reaction, then leaned in close, his face so close he could kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead he whispered, “If we do this, it paints a target on your back.”

  She shook her head minutely. “I don’t care,” she gasped.

  Frowning, his control thinning, he growled before telling her, “Be sure, Jessandra.”

  She stilled, moving her hands from where they gripped the comforter and his hip and brought them up to his face, holding him as she looked deep into his eyes, the seriousness hard to miss from her tone.

  “I want this with you, Fallon,” she told him. “We ca
n handle whatever comes our way now. I know it.”

  Bending down, he pressed his forehead to hers for a second, breathing deep. Then, slowly, he trailed kisses along her temple and down her cheek bone to her lips again, kissing her with renewed passion.

  There were no more words between them. Reaching down, he gently touched her lower lips with his fingers, testing. Finding her wet still, he adjusted his hips to bring himself closer to her. Grasping himself, he placed the tip at her entrance, holding it there as he watched her face, gauging.

  She nodded a jerkily, barely able to stay still beneath him. That was all the assurance he needed. Suddenly, he slowly pressed forward, though the rush and fullness her body felt at his progression had her shuddering and taking relaxing breaths so as not to tense up. For a split second, there was discomfort, and then her body relaxed, letting it enjoy all that his offered. When his hips rested on hers, he held there, giving her body a moment to adjust, feathering kisses along her neck, suckling here and there with the occasional bite. Soon, she couldn’t take it. She needed him to move. Having him inside her but unmoving was torturous.

  Rotating her hips, she told him she was ready. Reading her loud and clear, he began to pull back, her slick walls sliding gloriously around his cock as he did. Right before exiting, he pushed back, just as slowly, causing a slow moan to build in Jess’ throat. The sound had his runes burning brighter. He could feel his temperature rise, too. Knowing she could take it, he kept going, though a little faster this time. With each retreat and return he gained just a little more speed. He could feel his tip bump her cervix.

  A thin sheen of sweat began to cover her body as she gripped him tighter, both with her thighs and hands but also with her slick channel walls. Slipping his hands under her arms, he reached around and gripped her shoulders to hold her steady as he picked up the speed even more, going deeper. With each stroke her breath would shudder, blowing past his ears, making him hotter, driving him harder.

  The pitch of her moans grew more frantic at the same time that her body became tenser. She was close. Tilting his hips just right, he positioned himself so that he rubbed her clit more directly with each meeting of their pelvises.

  “Oh!” She cried in surprise at the new sensation.

  With a self congratulatory smile, he kept at it, letting her build.

  It didn’t take long, either. Suddenly she gripped him hard to her, nearly too close to continue his motions, but he resisted, driving in and out like a piston as she broke apart. She quaked in his arms as he kept going, nearly there himself.

  Before she quieted, he found his own peak. Like an explosion of built up energy, he pumped a couple more times as his body released inside her.

  Later, resting together, the room’s only light emanated from the softly glowing runes on Fallon’s body where Jess’ touched his, he noticed they weren’t as bright as they were earlier. Just a low light now at his chest, hip, leg and arm that she rested against, sleeping. The wing she laid on, curled up on the other side of her on the bed. He was thankful the blood flow was minimal on that part of his body or he’d have a hellish case of pins and needles when she finally awoke. She looked so peaceful, he mused, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, her warm breath puffing on his chest didn’t change when he did. Except, frowning, he studied her, noticing a sudden glow coming from her. Much like his own, though not blue, it started beneath her skin on her forehead, spreading all over her body, then growing brighter. Pulling out from underneath her, she roused. “Mmm…” she moaned contently, reaching out for him. Brushing his retreating wing as he stood had her eyes peeling open to look up at him. She picked up on the confused look on his face and frowned up at him.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” She asked, starting to sit up. When she did, she noticed her hand glowing. Surprise had her sitting up, sheet forgotten, her exposed breasts revealing that the emanating light was all over.

  “What the hell?” She exclaimed, freaking out a little.

  “What is this?” Fallon asked her.

  She shook her head as she held both arms out, examining them. It was getting even brighter. “I have no idea,” she told him, panic dripping in her voice.

  He reached out to touch her forehead, where it glowed the brightest, only to feel a burning sensation. Yanking his hand away, he hissed, frowning down at her.

  Shocked, she looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

  “Get Beth,” she told him before a sudden pain radiating from her head throughout her entire body had her falling backwards onto the bed, writhing.

  His own panic rose at seeing her in pain and hand him running for the door. Yanking it open, he raced into the dark, empty hall, calling out to hallowed walls, “Help!” Though his voice was loud, the soft walls absorbed any echoing.

  Taking a deep breath, he looked down the dark hallway and tried again, “We need help!”

  He waited for a second, with Jess behind him still on the bed, crying now from whatever torture she was going through, but no one came.

  The hall remained quiet. Dead.

  Desperation had him bellowing even louder, “HEEELLLP!

  Epilogue

  “What do you mean it wasn’t there?” Bain yelled at Warren.

  The creature actually winced, as large as he was, the fear of the Seelie before him was apparent. Warren could probably take him, but he knew that if anything were to happen to the Seelie prince by his hand, it would be his mate that would pay the price.

  Ashamed, Warren hung his head as he repeated, “It wasn’t in Fallon’s rooms.”

  “Are you sure you were in the right room?” Bain growled at him.

  Warren only nodded.

  Bain turned away in disgust to pace a few feet before turning on his heel. They were in the alley a couple blocks down from the entrance to the Fomorian sanctuary. Though it was still dingy, he was thankful the garbage had been picked up that morning, it left just the daor’s smell to deal with. He walked back and stood in front of Warren again, careful not to breath through his nose. Sweet Danu, was the stench getting worse?! Bain thought.

  “What about the human? Was there any sign of her?”

  Warren didn’t dare mention that Bain said nothing about looking for the human. He knew the last slave lost his life hunting for her, but he didn’t know why.

  “No, master,” he lied.

  Bain cursed, then thought out loud, “She was the last to be seen with it and she was last reported being brought to the hole they call a home.” The disdain dripping from his voice was apparent and Warren was indifferent to it. He was becoming dull, he knew it. It wouldn’t be much longer. For a second, he envisioned the peace he’d feel when he left this earth and knowing his mate was free.

  “Alright then,” Bain said, drawing Warren back to the present. “Watch them. Find out where both the statue and the human girl is.”

  “Yes, master,” he said.

  There was a moment when they both stood there, Warren still gazing down at the cracked pavement and Bain staring up at him, growing more and more irritated by the second.

  Finally, “What the hell are you waiting for, daor?!” Bain yelled at him.

  Warren jerked and hesitantly asked, “May I have another look at the human’s picture?”

  For a second Bain was perplexed, then, pulling his phone out of his pocket he scrolled through his images before finding the surveillance photo he was looking for. Holding it out towards Warren, he let the creature look at it briefly.

  Warren memorized the image as quickly as possible. Brown hair, feisty looking. She wore sunglasses but Warren got a good idea of what he was looking for. Besides, if it was a human he was looking for, he’d be able to find it.

  Bain withdrew the phone, tucking it back into his jacket pocket and taking out another older cheap phone. Handing it to Warren he told him, “Let me know as soon as you’ve found them.”

  Warren nodded but Bain was already turning away to climb into the back of his car, the dr
iver starting the engine. Warren turned towards the right wall and stabbed his grotesquely long claws into the crumbling brick and began to climb up. The alleyway was much too narrow for him to use his wings and he dare not use the street. Once he reached the top, he stood on the roof, looking down the road, seeing the entrance to the Barr in the distance. Letting out a deep sigh, he spread his wings and took to the air.