by Laney Powell
“Wait, wait,” Mom interrupted. “Brothers?”
“Twins,” I said, smiling.
“Oh, my,” I heard her say. There was silence, and then she said, “All right, who is the third?”
“He’s a wolf shifter,” I said.
“Oooh,” Mom breathed.
“I’m right here, Patty,” my dad said.
“Hush, I know,” Mom said. “Are they handsome?”
“Extremely,” I replied.
“Olivia, you’re either lucky or cursed. Three men? That’s a lot to be going on with,” she said. “One is enough of a handful.”
“Again, right here,” Dad said.
“Hush, Roger. I admire your willingness, sweetie. Dad and I expect to meet them. Maybe over the summer?”
“I’ll ask,” I said. “Can we talk about something other than my love life?”
“Thank you,” Dad said. “We’re both very glad to hear that you’re talking with Iliana more. That you’re giving her a chance.”
“She loves you, sweetie,” Mom said.
“I know,” I said. “I’m a jerk. I know it. I’m trying.”
“Good,” Mom said.
We talked some more about the sirens.
A knock at my door made me jump. “Hang on,” I said.
I opened the door to find Matty. “Hey,” I mouthed. “Mom,” I pointed at the phone.
He nodded, although he looked tightly wound, like he was about to go off. Like a bomb, I thought.
“Mom, I have to go,” I said.
“Oh, all right. Don’t leave it so long, okay?”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“And keep talking to Iliana,” Dad said. “She needs you.”
“I think I need her, too,” I said.
Mom burst into tears. “You’re mine, you always will be, but you’re hers, too, and I’ve been hoping that you would let her in,” she said between her tears.
“Mom, it’s all right,” I said.
We finally said goodbye, and I found that my eyes were welling up. My mom was so happy that it made me happy. My dad told me he loved me three times, which let me know that he was happy as well.
When I hung up, and wiped my eyes, I turned to Matty, who was patiently waiting. “What’s going on?” I said. He was practically humming with a strong energy.
“Everything all right with your parents?”
“Yes. They want to meet all three of you,” I said, grinning at the thought.
His mouth fell open. “Are you kidding? You told your mom?”
“Iliana told them. Mom gave me the interrogation. It was really funny,” I said, laughing at the thought of my dad feeling he had to keep saying, Right here. “I’ll tell you about it.”
“I want to hear it. I haven’t had the nerve to tell my parents yet. But there’s something else that needs to happen first.”
“What?” I asked.
“Come with me,” he held out his hand.
We walked, hand in hand toward the main building. When we got to the library, I pulled back a little. “Not exactly my favorite place right now.”
“It’s okay,” Matty said. “It’s not there right now.”
“How do you know?” I objected. “You can’t see it.”
“Trust me. Come on.” He kept hold of my hand.
Even being in here made me feel itchy all over. He walked toward the back and past a small window, he knocked on the door. It swung open, and when we walked in, Jake and Silas were sitting at a table.
Caspian stood in off to the side.
I stopped. “What’s going on?” I looked around.
“Tell him,” Silas said, pointing at Caspian.
“Tell him what?”
“Why are they so concerned for you?” Caspian spoke. The cloud of misery still hung around him.
I remembered that all three of them felt sorry for Caspian. This seemed to be the night for explaining my relationship. “It would have been nice to have a head’s up,” I glared at all three of my guys.
“You can handle it,” Silas said. He didn’t grin, but I sensed that he wanted to help not only his friend, but me.
They were doing this for me. Because I’d told them that I had a feeling about Caspian, and because they liked him, to some degree. But mostly for me.
Taking a breath, I turned to face Caspian. I needed to see his face. “There’s a lot I can share with you but the first thing you need to know is that if you want to be with me, it’s not just me.”
“What do you mean?” Caspian asked. A spark flew from his eyes.
I knew what it was. It was hope. But it was gone as fast as it had appeared. “I mean that I date all three of them,” I said. “I would like to date you,” I added. “But it’s a package deal.”
“I’m not interested in men,” Caspian said. “No offense to any of you,” he said politely.
The hope I’d seen flare in him hadn’t died away.
Matty burst out laughing. “Neither are we.”
“Then…” Caspian began. “You all agreed to this?” He looked around.
“Absolutely,” Silas said.
“Yes,” Matty said.
“One hundred percent,” Jake said.
“This is… not what I expected,” Caspian said. “What else is there?”
“No,” I shook my head before anyone else could open their mouth. “There’s nothing else to say.”
“How much more is there?” Caspian asked.
“Why do you need to know?” I shot back.
“If I help with something, I like to know what I’m dealing with.”
“What are you helping with?” I asked, looking between Jake and Matty.
“All this,” Matty indicated the books on the table, “Is about how to stop demons from getting in.”
“And maybe how to get rid of them?” I asked.
“Exactly,” Silas said. “We just have to find it.”
“There’s a lot here,” I looked at the pile. “You did this?” I turned to Caspian. “Why?”
“Because I felt sure all the things I was seeing were demonic,” he said. “I don’t like mysteries.”
“Well, life has been challenging lately, hasn’t it?” I said before I could help myself.
All three of my guys covered their mouths and looked away.
“Yes, it has,” Caspian said. He inhaled several times, looking down at the floor. “I appreciate that you have taken me into your confidence, after a fashion. But I don’t believe this is something for me.”
His words fell onto the floor, and no one said a word. Until that moment, I didn’t think that he’d say no, that he’d turn me down. It hadn’t even crossed my mind. Matty, Silas, and Jake had accepted this part of me, of my life—and it hadn’t been anything other than positive.
“I’m sorry,” Caspian said. “You can use the room, of course.” He walked to the door and stopped as he reached for the handle.
Everyone watched him, waiting. The room was so quiet.
Then Caspian opened the door and walked through it. With a soft click, he disappeared.
“That went well,” Jake said.
“Hey, we have a source we didn’t have before,” Matty said. “That’s a plus.”
Silas stared at the door. “Poor bastard,” he said.
“He is supposed to be with us,” I said, feeling like I might cry.
“I agree,” Silas said. “He’s also a giant pain in the ass. Don’t cry, Toots,” he got up and put his arms around me. “Nothing is over until it’s over, and I don’t think this is.”
Silas smelled good, as he always did. I buried my head in his shoulder, and breathed in and out, letting his touch and his scent and his everything calm me.
When he let me go, Jake wrapped me in his arms. He kissed my head, and then the back of my neck. It made my skin ripple with desire.
“No way, pal. I get to walk her home tonight,” Matty said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward him.
&nb
sp; “Do I get a say in this?” I asked.
“No,” all three said in unison.
“You’re better off letting us fight it out among ourselves.” Silas opened the door.
“Yeah, because otherwise you get to see how badly Silas cheats,” Jake said, laughing.
Once we were out, Silas shut the door.
“Shit, do we have the password?” Jake looked around.
“I forgot all about it,” Matty said.
“I got it, kiddies,” Silas drawled.
We walked out of the library, and Matty and I went in the direction of my dorm.
“Good night,” Silas called.
“Don’t stay out too late,” Jake added.
“Thanks, mom,” Matty said under his breath.
We could hear them laughing as we walked away.
Matty pulled me to him, making a sound of deep satisfaction. “I’m always so glad when it’s my turn to walk you home,” he said.
“So am I,” I said.
Jade was walking out of the bathroom when we reached my pod. “Aw. Lovebirds,” she said, waggling her fingers at us as she walked into her room.
“Everyone’s got an opinion,” I said.
“Yours is the one that matters,” Matty said.
Once inside my room, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me thoroughly. I felt the desire I’d been feeling all day, that I’d been managing, burst through all my roadblocks.
“Gods, you’re like candy on a stick,” he groaned into my hair.
“I’m right here. Take a lick,” I suggested.
He groaned again, walking me backwards to the bed. When my legs bumped it, I fell onto it, clinging to Matty’s shoulders.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he said, wiggling his hips against me.
“That’s makes two of us,” I said.
He kissed me carefully, along my mouth, and then my jaw, and my neck. When he breathed into my ear, I arched against him. “I love that,” I said.
Matty nipped my earlobe.
“Oh, yes,” my fingers curled against his shoulders.
“You,” he kissed my lips, “have entirely too many clothes on.”
“Then let’s remedy that,” I said.
Matty was up like a shot, pulling his shirt over his head and shrugging his pants onto the floor.
I followed his lead, cheerfully tossing all my clothing off.
The feel of his skin against mine was so warm. I wanted to crawl inside him, he felt so good.
We fell back onto the bed together, Matty on top of me. I loved the feel of his cock so close to me, and I rubbed against him.
“Ah, ah,” Matty said. “I want to take my time.”
“Oh, well, if you insist,” I purred.
He chuckled, and kissed my chest, and then down to one of my breasts. Reverently, he kissed, and then sucked at my nipple.
I moaned.
He licked and sucked at the nipple as I felt waves of desire crashing over me one after the other, with no break in between. Then he moved to the other breast, moving so slowly no matter how much I writhed against him.
“I can’t wait,” I gasped. “Matty, I need you.”
He stilled, and then he moved up and over me, using his knee to spread my legs. His hands went under my butt, grabbing hold. He plunged into me, and I cried out.
Matty backed onto his knees, bringing me with him. His hands were still on my butt, and his fingers squeezed me as he drove into me again.
“Oh goddess, yes,” I said. “Matty, yes!”
My words seemed to unleash something in him. He’d stated that he planned to take his time, but thank the goddess he’d shifted gears. His body battered against mine, and I welcomed him with open arms.
All the stress of the last week, all the hurt, the pain—it all went away. I was safe here, with him. If I fell, he’d catch me. We’d catch each other. I knew this, and I opened my eyes to watch him.
Matty was already watching me. His lips were parted, and he bit at one corner of his lip. My hands went to his hips, to bring him closer to me, to never let him go.
“Don’t stop,” I whispered, exalting in the hot tide of passion that bound us together, that swept us both away.
With a groan, his release warmed me from within. He never took his eyes from mine, and the love in his face brought me to my own release. I felt like I was falling down a river of stars and light.
The heat of his body coursed down the length of mine, and I shuddered in his grasp.
He smiled at me from above me. “So much for all my plans. I’ve been thinking about them all day, and then you bat your eyes, and I’m putty in your hands.”
“I think you were a bit more than putty,” I said with a giggle.
He laughed and pulled me up to him. We held each other for what seemed like a long time. Then he got up.
“I hate to leave,” he said.
“I hate for you to leave.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He put his shirt back on—a sight I was sorry to see—and leaned down and kissed me.
I was asleep before the door closed with a smile on my face.
Chapter Seventeen
Olivia
The next few days, I had too much homework, and the guys were in a flurry of homework and rugby practice. To me, it was extremely inconvenient that all these other things kept getting in the way of us finding the spell to shut down the hellway.
But since we were at school, I kept my grousing to myself.
On Wednesday, I presented myself to Madame Karathos.
“You look tired,” she said as soon as I threw myself in one of her chairs.
“I am,” I said.
“You’ll be happy to hear that no other students have disappeared, and,” she smiled triumphantly, “I believe I have discovered the thread that ties all of our students who have disappeared together.”
I sat up. “Really? What?” I’d forgotten about this.
“It’s a thin one, but it makes sense, if you look at it in a certain fashion,” Madame Karathos said.
“That doesn’t sound like even close to a sure thing,” I said.
“Well, listen. Then you can offer commentary,” Madame Karathos said. She picked up a piece of paper on her desk, reading from it. “They all share a common ancestor. A mage, over two hundred years ago. He was a strong dual elemental, fire and earth. And,” she smiled at me, “He was also half demon. According to a couple of letters I found, there was a suggestion that he sold himself into the service of a demon.”
“No,” I breathed. “Can that really be it?”
“It seems so simple, doesn’t it?” She shook her head.
“If he was owned by a demon, could that pass through his descendants?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of it, but there is much that isn’t known about magic, particularly demon magic,” Madame Karathos took a breath. “Seems reasonable, yes?”
“Yes, it does. Add that with the hellway, and we might as well roll out the red carpet for this jackass,” I said.
“Your language is really beginning to slip,” Madame Karathos remarked.
“It sure is,” I said. “How do we keep anyone else of this bloodline safe?”
“Well, I think I will go and visit with Professor Langualiare,” she said.
“Oh! That reminds me. He has a whole trove of books about casting out demons that he gave Caspian permission to use.”
“And what are you looking for?” Madame Karathos asked.
“How to close the hellway. The Agape spell gave me the idea. It worked for the demon vapor, and Katherine—maybe a bigger version would work for the hellway.”
“Sometimes the simplest spell is the most effective,” Madame Karathos said. “Why don’t you help me look for something that might save any other blood descendants of Percival Granby?”
“Was that his name?” I asked.
She nodded. “Are you up for this?
”
“This is fascinating,” I said. “It’s also so like Marbys, the slimy shit.”
“Language,” Madame Karathos said.
We spent the rest of our normal lesson time following family trees. There was something not quite right about Nobledark having access to so many, but it worked out in our favor. We identified two other students—a second year boy, and a third-year girl—who were in the same bloodline.
“Well, now we know who needs protection. We just have to figure out how,” I said, leaning back in my chair. I was tired again from pouring over pages with too-small writing.
“We’ve done well this evening,” Madame Karathos said. “You let me worry about the protection spell.”
“You’re not going to tell the Councilors, are you?” I asked, as a thought struck me.
“No, I don’t believe I shall. They will hold it against these students, and I would venture that these families have worked hard to move past their ancestor’s actions.”
“It really sucks that this is even a worry.”
“This is not unusual, or something specific to Nobledark,” Madame Karathos said.
“It’s good you’re here,” I said, thinking about what she’d said about why she chose to be here.
“I think so,” Madame Karathos said. “Now get some sleep. I think you will be up late most of the week.”
She was right. I fell asleep the moment I got into bed.
At dinner the next day, Jake leaned in. “We’re going to the book room tonight,” he said. “We all have the time.”
“The secret lair? Oh, good. I’m coming with you.”
“We were hoping you would,” Matty said.
“I need to teach all of you the password,” Silas said. “So we all have access.”
We arranged to meet in thirty minutes. That gave me a chance to run back to my room, grab my backpack with homework for cover, and get to the library. As I walked in, I ignored where the hellway sat when it showed up. I was glad to have a secret lair, but I really wished it was somewhere else.
Matty, Silas and Jake were waiting for me.
“About time. We’re starting to get looks,” Silas grumbled.
“From who? The books?” I rolled my eyes. “Stop being dramatic and show us how it’s done, guru.”
He glared at me but turned to the door. “Mihi apartem,” he said. After a moment, the door clicked, and opened a few inches.
