Academy Obscura - The Scorched Summer: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance

by Cassia Briar

  An hour of mostly getting my ass kicked, though I was learning, left me plenty of time for a shower and dressing for the ball. Two fae servants and Lyn fussed over my hair, makeup, and accessories up until it was time to go.

  I thanked my three attendants and dismissed them, when Liam appeared in the doorway. His green eyes traveled the length of my silver and purple, wispy silk gown. The neckline plunged to the waist, semi-transparent sleeves tickled my arms, and a slit all the way up to the thigh showed off one leg. The dress moved with me as I walked forward, billowing slightly in the back while plastered against my skin in the front. With my hair pinned up, there was little of my body left to anyone’s imagination.

  I wondered if I was supposed to be dressed like this—wearing yards of fabric yet practically naked.

  A slow smile spread his lips. “You are perfection.”

  He always knew the right thing to say. I captured his lush lips with mine, as I skimmed my palm down his satin-clad chest. His warm hand found my hip and pulled me closer.

  The door opened again, this time with two groans and a curse. Ah, the rest of my mates had arrived. They’d been getting ready in the room next door. A whole host of attendants to see to their needs.

  Angel spoke in a low rumble. “You two better stop that or none of us will be leaving this room tonight.”

  I broke away from Liam and chuckled. Jaxon, Angel, and Montrell stared at me with varying expressions of disbelief. The witch let out an appreciative whistle. My alpha werewolf cursed, but his gaze stroked every inch of me, lighting my skin on fire.

  “You’re not wearing that,” Montrell stated. “The front is half missing, and…are you even wearing underwear?”

  In fact, I was wearing nude colored panties. As well as the magical pouch cinched around my upper thigh. If I’d learned anything so far, it was to be prepared at all times.

  I approached him with a fake pout. “You don’t like it? You don’t think it’s sexy?” I rubbed my breasts against his chest. My nipples hardened, creating peaks in the barely there fabric. “Oops,” I breathed.

  Montrell’s mouth was on mine a millisecond later, his tongue sweeping past my lips. He kissed me like he’d never get enough. Lust and love flowed into me from our mate connection, and I wanted nothing more than to tear his clothes off.

  “We have a party to get to,” Liam’s arm wrapped around my waist and carried me away to my vanity.

  Montrell growled.

  I took a moment to fix my makeup in the mirror while ogling my mates. They wore black trousers with satin shirts of different colors under long tuxedo-like jackets. Any one of them on their own was enough to make my panties melt—all four of them in one room? Yeah, I was beyond turned on and they knew it.

  With great effort, I stood up straight and tried not to think about sex. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

  Liam offered his arm and I took it. Montrell, Angel, and Jaxon strode side by side right behind us. Our guards fell into step too as we made our way down to the ballroom.

  Ballroom couldn’t have been the right word to describe such a space. The opening in the center was three stories high. Fae, proudly displaying their glimmering wings, mingled on the ground level while others hovered in the air above. The massive room opened to a terrace, letting in the warm and humid night.

  Tables laden with decadent foods nestled against one wall, musicians played from a top balcony, and the place was simply…magical. Magical. There was no other way to describe it. For the first time, what the term royalty meant to these people sunk into my awareness. My stomach fluttered.

  A disembodied voice announced, “Queen Caprice Sorrentino and her royal husbands Liam Kavanagh, Montrell Freeman, Angel Cortez, and Jaxon McIver.”

  The space quieted as everyone’s attention turned to us. Liam escorted us down the short staircase. The crowd opened up before us and, as we passed, the fae bowed and curtsied. When we reached the other end of the room, we halted and turned to face those gathered. Liam made a rolling motion with his free hand. The music grew louder and the party continued.

  “What was that all about?” I asked in a whisper.

  “We had to walk the length of the room while everyone acknowledged us. Then I motioned for the ball to continue. Now we’re free to mingle, dance, and eat as we’d like among our guests.” Liam held out his hand. “Dance with me?”

  “Uh.” I glanced at the couples who twirled on the dance floor. “I don’t really know how to do that ballroom dancing stuff.”

  His eyes, the same green color as his glorious wings, lit with amusement. “It’s easy. Just follow my lead.” With that, he swept me up in his arms, away from my other mates, and had us gliding into the fray. Or rather he glided, and I tried not to fall on my face.

  In no time, he had me twirling along with the rest of the dancers. Liam was full of surprises. It was like he’d been born for this life. Born to be a royal. Maybe that was why he’d been selected to take the seat from the Stewarts at the Choosing.

  Once I was laughing and breathless, we joined the other three at a prominent table to one side. It was set on a dais so we overlooked the ballroom without being removed from the festivities. May was in the middle of the dance floor. The green dress she wore contrasted beautifully with her strawberry hair.

  I settled between Liam and Montrell. We ate and drank, and eventually settled into the happy atmosphere. Even Angel’s features relaxed.

  Regina, looking amazing in a gold colored gown, flashed her fangs at me then took the seat on the other side of Montrell.

  I sat back and people-watched. The fae world was like an alternate reality. Time didn’t seem to exist here, only magic and joy. Someday, when the war was over, I wanted to experience that week long festival and thoroughly indulge in it.

  A woman and two men climbed the dais to our table. Liam spoke softly in my ear, “Fae nobles. Lord and Lady Sommers, and Lord Bough. We want them on our side.”

  The trio bowed low, then took the chairs Liam offered them in front of our table. The Sommers were both fair, he a blond and her with red hair. Lord Bough was quite the opposite with deeply tanned skin and black hair. His wings were a rich gold that made me think of the legend of King Midas.

  After Liam made the formal introductions, Lady Sommers blurted, “Are you really a dragon shifter?”

  The other two fixed me with hard gazes.

  I tensed up. “Yes, I am,” I said to Lady Sommers. Proving what kind of shifter I was seemed like it would be an ongoing thing. For the first time thankful for the amount of exposed skin I had tonight, I micro shifted so black scales covered my body. Then I let the shift drop.

  Lady Sommers lifted a shapely brow. “Hm. So you are.”

  Lord Bough studied me with renewed interest, his lips pursed. “The three of us have been nominated by the fae community to vet you, Council Queen.” He threw a harsh glance at Liam. “The Kavanaghs don’t exactly have a great reputation among us either. Your father—”

  “Is not me,” Liam cut in. “And you would do well to remember that. It wasn’t so long ago that a certain cousin of yours was tarnishing the Bough family name.”

  Lord Bough glared, but took a moment to rethink his approach.

  Sheesh. This was how we went about winning over the fae? Liam had to feel my uncertainty.

  He continued, “If you needed to be concerned about anyone’s fitness to rule, you should have been concerned over the Stewarts. Where were you when Linus Stewart sided with the Tromara? Did the nobility really know nothing about his treason?”

  “I swear on my honor we did not.” Lord Bough’s words were heartfelt and I was inclined to believe him.

  “It took us completely by surprise,” Lady Sommers said. “As you can imagine, we aim to be more cautious of whom we trust from now on.”

  “If you can’t trust us,” I said, “you can’t trust anyone. We exposed the old Council for the world to see. Why would we do that if it wasn’t to free you all from their tyr
anny?”

  “To take control,” snapped Lord Bough.

  I jerked back, stung, my temper rising. Liam and Montrell each gripped one of my legs. I didn’t know if it was in warning or not, and it didn’t matter. I’d always heard the fae were harsh, but I hadn’t experienced much of that until now. At the same time, Lord Bough was being honest and I had no reason not to answer his concern with complete honesty in return.

  “You think I want to be queen?” I locked eyes with Lord Bough. “You think I chose to be a dragon shifter and your only hope for defeating the Tromara? That I want to risk my life fighting to free this nation? If I could pass this responsibility to someone else I would. In a heartbeat. But that’s not possible. This is on me, and I will do everything in my power, including put my life on the line, to do what is right.”

  Lord Bough held my gaze. “You have to understand that there are rumors about dragons. You are drawn to wealth and power. Never satisfied.” He glanced up and down the table before returning his attention to me. “You are queen. You have four mates. Tell me, what is in your dragon hoard? Jewels? Gold?”

  My dragon hoard, as he called it, was safely nestled in the pouch against my skin. I answered his question. “Seashells.”

  Lord Bough’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “My dragon hoard is seashells.” They were more precious to me than any jewels or gold.

  Lord Sommers barked out a laugh. “Hardly the wealth amassing creature of legend.”

  “Oh,” was all Lord Bough managed. He settled back in his chair, a crease between his brows. “Seashells.”

  “I can only imagine the weight of what you’ve taken on,” Lady Sommers said, her tone softer. “As much as you may hate it, I think you are the right person to lead us. I mean, what are the chances of a dragon shifter showing up right as our world was about to take a devastating turn. Mark my words when I say the old Council and Tromara working together would be the end of us. They’ve already caused so much damage allied behind the scenes. Out in the open they’d only be worse. They’d bring more suffering shrouded in false promises.”

  I nodded. I knew that, it was why we were set on battling them to the end. I didn’t want to live in a world ruled by Isabella and Sebastian. Neither did these people.

  Shouts penetrated over the din of the ball. I rose, craning my neck to see who it was as the sound grew nearer. It was coming from the open terrace. Montrell blocked my view, using his wide body to shield mine. I peeked around him as Tyler and Flora swooped into the brighter ballroom.

  Tyler bellowed, “They’re coming! The Tromara are coming!”

  25

  Caprice

  Bolts of magic blasted into the ballroom, targeting the fae. The place erupted in screams, shouts, and flinging spells. Some turned to flee as others advanced forward to fight the Tromara. They collided and tangled below us. Chaos.

  Flora shot fae magic toward the dimly lit lawn behind her. An answering blast darted past her and hit Tyler. He collapsed to the floor.

  “No!” I shoved past Montrell and started to half-shift, only to come to a staggering halt when a flash spinning purple magic and pain seared across my collarbone. My gaze snapped to the caster’s. Near the terrace door, stood Liam’s father, his expression smug. Traitor.

  I touched my neck and my fingers came away bloodied. Shock held me in place, paralyzed. Dizziness blurred my vision and I swayed. Then I was swept off my feet and carried through the crush of bodies. I inhaled the scent of fresh rain as my eyelids dropped.

  “Stay with me.” A strangled noise came from Montrell’s throat.

  I pried my eyes open enough to see the front of my dress soaked in blood. My blood. I couldn’t feel my limbs. My whole body felt numb. Was I bleeding to death?

  A familiar growl and snarl told me Angel was nearby. All colors of magic danced around us and there was so much crashing and screaming.

  “Keys are in the SUV,” Jaxon shouted. “Go!”

  “Teleport us out of here,” Montrell demanded.

  “I can’t. She’s lost too much blood. Now go!”

  My cheek pressed against Montrell’s chest as he ran. My eyelids closed again, but my awareness heightened. The iron smell of blood filled my head. Fear, determination, and rage filtered through to me. I startled. Liam. I couldn’t feel Liam.

  “Liam,” I moaned as Montrell lay me in the SUV’s back seat. He didn’t respond with words, but agony rushed through our link.

  “Fuck!” Jaxon’s voice. “Angel, I need you to drive. Come on, come on. Zed, find May. Get her and Regina out of here.” Car doors slammed and the engine revved. “Caprice,” Jaxon’s face hovered over mine, “hang in there. I’ve got you.” The cool tip of his wand brushed over my throat.

  “We’ve got a tail,” Angel said. “Hold on. I’m going to lose them.”

  Jaxon pulled my upper body into his lap and went to work on healing me, but I didn’t pay much attention. All I could think about was Liam. Why were we leaving without him? Why couldn’t I feel him?

  The memory of Tyler collapsing jolted me. Was he okay? What was I going to tell Elena? Panic replaced the pain in my chest. She loved him, she couldn’t lose him like this. Just like I couldn’t lose my mate.

  “Liam,” I croaked.

  “Shh.” Jaxon brushed hair away from my eyes. “We’ll find him.”

  My gut twisted.

  The SUV shuddered and rocked like we were being rammed by another vehicle. Jaxon’s grip on me tightened. Montrell cursed from the passenger seat.

  I felt limp and tingly from the neck down, but shock no longer clouded my mind, threatening unconsciousness. “What happened?” I asked.

  “Uh, hold on, baby.” Jaxon buckled me into the center seat. Wand still in hand, he opened his window and muttered a stream of spells. “Oh hell, the Tromara Council is after us.”

  “Tromara Council?” Montrell asked, bewildered.

  “Yeah. I recognize them from the pledging and meetings. Lorenzo, Javier, Rafael, Cyril, and Valdis. At least Sebastian’s not with them.”

  “Valdis is here?” Hatred snaked through me at the thought of the Tromara vampire. I tried to move closer to the window, but my limbs wouldn’t cooperate. My body was so weak.

  “Whoa there, stay still. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” Jaxon pushed me back down. “Angel, we need to lose them now. We can’t take on those five. Not without Caprice and—” He didn’t say it, but the word was Liam. Not without Liam.

  Angel accelerated and Montrell grunted as the other vehicle hit us from behind. I poked my head over the backseat to see what was going on. Jaxon dragged me down beside him.

  “It’s only a matter of time before they start hitting us with spells,” he said. “Stay. Down.”

  Frustration burned in my chest. If only I was stronger, if I hadn’t lost all that blood, I could half-shift and light those fuckers on fire. As it was, I was barely more useful than a rag doll.

  The back half of our SUV fishtailed.

  “Bastards!” Angel’s tone held surprise. “Jaxon, I need a fucking miracle. Get us out of here.”

  Something powerful hit us from the side and we rolled. I screamed, my stomach in my throat, as the vehicle righted itself, bounced, then landed on the driver’s side with a crunch. A metallic taste exploded in my mouth.

  Groaning, and the pain through the mate bond told me the guys were alive. Pure adrenaline spiked my heart rate. I climbed out of the smashed up SUV and lowered myself to the ground. I panted, trying to catch my breath. We were a good thirty feet from a two lane road, in the middle of nowhere Georgia. The faint glow of sunrise came through the trees.

  Metal doors slammed from across the road. Five men in black clothing and billowing trenchcoats strode forward, unhurried. They reeked of power and death.

  I tried to shift to my half form, but it wouldn’t come. After the third try, I gave up and leaned against cool metal, not taking my eyes off the approaching Tromara.

  Montrell and A
ngel freed themselves from the wreckage. Both men started to morph into their animals. One wolf, one bear.

  “Get Jaxon,” I said.

  Without argument, Montrell disappeared for a long moment.

  “Hurry. We need to go.”

  Angel bared his teeth, snarling at the enemy. His soft fur brushed against my arm as he angled his body to protect mine. Montrell hauled an unconscious Jaxon over his shoulder. I pulled them closer, trying not to focus on the Tromara.

  “Wake him up.” Panic strained my voice.

  Montrell set Jaxon beside me and shook him. His head rolled to the side.

  The Tromara were twenty feet away, close enough to glimpse the victory in their eyes.

  “Jaxon!” I screamed, shaking him. When he didn’t respond I slapped him across the face.

  His grey eyes fluttered open.

  “Get us out of here. Now.”

  Jaxon gazed over my shoulder and cursed. He murmured the spell, flicked his wrist, and purple smoke smothered us.

  This teleportation acted unlike the others I’d experienced. We free fell in a whirl of dark haze for so long I wondered if we’d made a terrible mistake, and we would be trapped in this place forever. That thought was dashed away as I hit concrete with a solid thunk. I groan and rolled onto my back. All fight left me. I was done.

  Angel’s hand found mine in the filtered light. “You okay?” his voice was laced with pain.

  I nodded. “You?”

  “I’ll survive.”

  “Montrell? Jaxon?” I asked.

  Two agonized moans came from my other side. At least Jaxon was still conscious.

  Angel dragged himself closer. “Where did you teleport us to, man?”

  “New York City.”

  “Have you ever been here?” Angel propped himself up on one arm.

  “No.”

  I struggled to sit up and looked around.

  “Then how the hell did we get here? I thought you had to visual a place in order to teleport to it.”

  Jaxon remained unmoving. “I do. I saw a picture once. It just popped into my head.”