by Brenda Trim
“You, assholes,” she screamed. The fact that they didn’t deny her accusations told her she was right and fueled her anger even more. She lifted her leg next and kicked another in the balls. Daine jumped between them and grabbed her shoulders.
“We need to get him to medical. They will get what’s coming to them,” Daine informed her before turned a murderous glare on the group. “You will regret ever laying a hand on him,” Daine warned the males.
“You have no fucking idea who you messed with,” she warned them. “What Daine and I will do to you will pale in comparison to how much we will make you suffer for this.”
“What the hell were you idiots thinking?” Someone yelled at the group of males. The last thing Maurelle saw before they went down the stairs was the smile dropping from their faces as they looked around at all the pissed Fae around them.
Maurelle was shaking as they walked, and her stomach lurched. She couldn’t help but wonder if the Headmistress was behind this incident. Ryker never had problems before, so she had to assume she was.
Calla held the door to the infirmary open and Maurelle called out the second they walked through, “Titania! We need you.”
The nurse rushed around a corner and stopped. Her jaw went slack for a split second before she started barking orders. Maurelle ran to grab the towels the nurse needed while she considered their precarious situation. Next time one of them could die. And that wasn’t happening to another person in her life.
None of them were strong enough to take on Gullvieg, and even if they managed to get her fired who would take her place? That Fae could be ten times worse. But, how did they simply ignore when shit went sideways like this?
Chapter Fourteen
“We need some answers. The Peridun seemed like she might be a seer. We need to bring the academy down. Well, at least those currently in charge. To do that we need all the information we can get,” Maurelle told Ryker.
Ryker ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Three days passed and he only got out of medical ten minutes before dinner. It was now after curfew and Maurelle was sitting on his bed.
She’d flown to his window this time, but not for sexy times like he’d hoped. It seemed as if her emotions weren’t blunted anymore, but he hadn’t yet asked her. The topic never came up, and if he was honest with himself, he didn’t want to know.
Well, he didn’t want to ask about her mother in case they weren’t dulled. He didn’t do crying females. His mother never broke down into tears, but held fast and strong, so he had no experience with it. The few times females cried when he’d let them know he no longer wanted to see them, sexually or otherwise were enough to tell him he couldn’t soothe hurt feelings.
“What information do you think she can give us that we don’t already have? We need to get proof before we can take any action,” he pointed out.
Maurelle glowered at him. The fire in her eyes blazed hotter than ever before and frightened him and made him hard as stone at the same time. He wanted her more than before, yet he still didn’t know if he liked her.
He had some serious issues.
“The Peridun can help us,” she insisted.
“Us, or you?” he finally broke down and asked.
Her jaw clenched and her chin went up. “Me,” she admitted. “I am barely holding on right now and I need something. The food no longer has any effect on me.”
“When did that happen?”
His wings flared behind his back as he sat down next to her. Her eyes followed the movement and her hand lifted to them. His body went rigid as her fingers traced over the skin of them.
Wings for a Fae were highly sexual appendages. Lights traveled over them when they experienced deep pleasure, and they darkened or lightened depending on the encounter.
He stifled a groan as her fingers skated over the surface. His need heightened and his cock got impossibly harder. Never before had a simple touch had such a huge impact on him.
“You have more markings on your wings since your attack,” she murmured. Yeah, he’d noticed that and assumed it was from his developing power. When she pointed it out he realized none of the other students experienced continuing changes to their wing markings.
“Wings tend to do that,” he replied and then got back to his question. He wanted to know what made her reactions to the control change. “So when did you stop being vulnerable to control?”
She let her fingers trail away and fall from his wing. The appendage moved in protest, but he forced them to lay against his back. “When she took me to the dungeon. She gave me so many different potions. At first it made me numb and I appreciated it, but the more I thought of… you and Brokk and my mom the less it took the pain away. I can’t live like this. I need something to keep me from lashing out at Gullvieg.”
“That’s not enough reason to risk ourselves while we are being so closely watched,” he said. He hated the tears that gathered in her eyes and stood abruptly. Sure, it was a dick move since he’d caused her heartache, but it had to be said.
“It’s not just that. I meant what I said. We need more information. We cannot allow this to continue, but we can’t do anything unless we know more,” she insisted.
Ryker watched her and saw the honesty on her face. She cared about this as much as he did. And he knew the reason she went to him was because they’d already successfully managed to get to Shineah’s shop.
He doubted she would have come to him otherwise. She hadn’t visited him during his time in the infirmary which shocked his dormmates given how worried and scared she was when she’d found him.
That was his fault, he thought. After they had been intimate, he never gave her a signal they would have more. He appreciated her strength and loyalty, and her trust meant more to him than any intimate act they might share.
It was easy to give someone your body. That didn’t mean you were giving them a piece of your heart or soul. Trust implied you had at least a little of both.
“Okay, Braveheart. You have a point. I’d like to know who might be willing to hear us out and be on our side. When we make a move, this will throw all of Mag Mell into chaos,” he informed her.
Maurelle jumped to her feet and barely stopped herself from throwing her arms around his neck. “You’re right, but it will be for the better I have no doubt. There’s more out there, Ryk. I never got to tell you, but I heard a female in the infirmary talk about the realm outside this little slice of it. It’s no longer desolate. Fae that escaped healed the land.”
His jaw went slack as he considered her words. “We definitely need to see Shineah. You should have led with that little bit of information,” he muttered, irritated that he was only now hearing about this.
“There’s the charm I’ve been missing. We’ve had a bit going on lately,” she snarked at him.
He pushed his window open and looked back at her. “Yes, we have. I mean I’ve had three days of nothing but lying in bed, but you wouldn’t know that.”
Before he turned away and flew out the window, he noticed the pink tinge to her cheeks and the way her fists balled at her sides. “I missed the memo about our friendship getting to that level.”
Ryker chuckled as he flew to the ground at the side of the dorms. She landed next to him with a huff. “The patrols are heavier tonight,” he observed as he peeked around the corner.
“Can you make us invisible?”
Ryker ran his hands over his pants as he watched at least three groups of guards patrolling the grounds. Gullvieg definitely stepped up her game, and he wanted to know why.
Ever since she released them from the basement, she’d looked at him differently. First, she punished the entire academy for his behavior, making enemies for him. And then, she placed more potion in his food.
He knew because anytime he looked at it now, he saw the green glow around it. No one else, not even Maurelle, could see the magic, but he saw it plain as day. Seeing these patrols added insult to injury. Aside from sneaking into the res
tricted section of the library, he hadn’t done anything to piss her off, yet he was her favorite target. Maurelle was smart to keep her distance from him, he thought. He didn’t want to be the reason she was tormented anymore.
“I will try. If I manage it we need to move fast. I have no idea how long I will be able to hold it,” he replied.
She nodded and placed her hands on his forearms. He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her. “You want to make out right now? I thought I’d get us past the guards then we can suck face.”
She smacked him but chuckled. “Shineah was wrong about you. You can’t even multitask.”
Ryker couldn’t stop from pulling her into his arms and pressing his mouth over hers. With a groan, she wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her fingernails into his shoulders.
His hands roamed up her lush sides and paused at her breasts. His lips moved over hers and his tongue licked her lower lip, diving in when her mouth parted. The feel of her tongue taking charge and surging into his mouth made him imagine flying back up to his room and taking her clothes off.
Knowing he couldn’t indulge in more at the moment, Ryker palmed her ass and tugged her to his body. She rubbed her molten core over his aching erection, and he squeezed the perfect globes filling his hands.
With one last peck on her lips, he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead into hers. “I want to fuck you so bad I can’t see straight,” he admitted.
“Hmmm,” she hummed and ran a hand down his pec, stopping at the waist of his pants. “If you can make us invisible, I promise to give you the night of your life when we return.”
Hs head shot up and his eyes locked with hers. He’d been wondering if sleeping with her was a good decision. She deserved a male who would worship and adore her, but it was impossible for him to turn her down.
He closed his eyes and called to the power he now felt bubbling throughout his body. He recalled the professor mentioning invisibility was a water league trait, so he imagined his blood and all of that touching him going clear.
His arms heated as pressure built in his mid-section. Feeling like he was on the right track, he pushed the image to encompass them both. When he blinked his eyes open, he couldn’t see Maurelle or his arm, but he felt where she touched him.
Twining their hands together, he took off toward the brambles and the path to the Edge. He felt exposed as they crossed the lawn with the moon shining down on them. His skin prickled and his heart raced as he pushed her faster.
They were forced to slow to a walk as they reached four guards that were passing each other. “Did you feel that surge of power?” one guard asked the others.
Maurelle gasped, drawing attention their way. All heads swiveled in their directions, forcing Ryker to pick her up and pump his legs as fast as they would go.
“There are students out here,” a guard yelled as footsteps pounded all around them. “They’re using invisibility.”
Maurelle whimpered lightly where she was tossed over his shoulder. She bounced as he ran and braced herself with her hands on his lower back. They were almost to the brambles when she yelped.
Ryker slowed and was about to ask when he saw they were no longer invisible. “Fuck,” he cursed and set her down.
Shouts echoed behind them as they ran through the path and into the city streets. Lights were on inside homes, but there were no streetlights in the Edge. There were gas powered lamps, but they didn’t illuminate as much as an electric light.
“They’re following us,” Maurelle said in between panting breaths. Sweat coated Ryker’s body, chilling him more in the cold night air while his mind whirled.
“We have to head to Devil’s Bane. Our best bet is convincing Brigsby to hide us,” Ryker replied as he turned down an alley to cut across to Timber street.
“That’s the bar you told me about last time. Are you sure he will hide us?” Maurelle asked. She was out of breath and he could hear the guards gaining on them.
Nodding his head, Ryker turned back and looked over her shoulder. When a male in black clothes rounded the bend, his heart plummeted to his feet. Rather than taking a direct route down the street, he decided on another direction. They had to lose their stalker first.
“Can you run faster?”
Maurelle craned her head and groaned. “I’m not sure.”
“Just long enough that we can shake him,” Ryker whispered.
Nodding, Maurelle pushed her legs and ran past him. Ryker caught up and cut through the centaur stables and pulled Maurelle with him. She squeaked and looked around as they ran past families in their open-air stalls. The parents and children started stomping their hooves and calling out to them.
“We didn’t come through here,” Ryker called out to the adults. “Please.”
He couldn’t stop to see if they listened to him but was fairly certain they caught on when it fell quiet, except for a few of the younger kids continuing their cries. He took the next alley and slowed slightly to allow Maurelle to catch her breath.
“Are they still behind us?” she whispered?
“I’m not sure,” he replied then stopped to listen to the sounds around them. When a noise sounded close to the end of the alley, Ryker grabbed Maurelle and hurried inside the closest business.
Soft music filled his ears. His jaw went slack, and his eyes bugged open when he saw the couches filled with naked Fae, as well as the long bar along the opposite wall. There was a velvet green sofa, and a purple and red one, as well. The walls were wall-papered with soft cloth covered in leaves.
The females all had the slender figure of a typical Fae and various colored wings. Their hair ranged from blonde to black to pink to green to purple. The males hanging on their arms were riveted to their nearly non-existent breasts and likely never noticed the color of their eyes, let alone their hair.
“If this is your idea of a bar, I understand where your charm comes from,” Maurelle muttered as her head swiveled to take in the entire lounge. They were in a Fae whore house. One he’d been curious about for years. Seeing it made his mouth go dry, but curiously didn’t turn him on as much as Maurelle’s sharp tongue.
“What are you two doing in here?” A female called out as she took flight from the floor above them.
When she landed next to them, her face lost color and her mouth hung open for a split second. Was she shocked because of their age? “We’re being followed. Can you hide us? Please?”
She turned to a female behind her and told her to watch the place then grabbed their arms and ushered them down a hall and into an office in the back. “Who are you? And why are you being followed?”
Maurelle’s shoulders relaxed as soon as the naked females were no longer in sight. Ryker was still stunned and unsure what to say. “I’m Maurelle and this charming male is Ryker. We were collected not long ago and needed to see a Peridun, so we snuck out of the academy.”
“I had a nephew named Ryker. If you’re looking for birth control there are easier ways to prevent pregnancy,” the female replied with a smile.
Maurelle’s face turned ten shades of pink and she was frantically shaking her head. Ryker managed to answer before she gathered her wits. “No. It’s nothing like that. While Maurelle is gorgeous, we have other business with Shineah. But, if you’re willing to share your tips I’ll be sure to use them.”
Maurelle smacked his arm and glared at him. “I happen to know some tricks of my own. Unless you’re planning to open your earlier invitation to other females?”
“I…uh…no?” His denial came out more like a question that the statement he intended. It was Maurelle’s fault for flustering him so much. All he could think was how did she know tricks to prevent pregnancy.
When he looked away from Maurelle, he noticed the female staring at him. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m Shiloh and I own Sinful Delight. You look familiar. Who are your parents?”
“My mom is Galina. My dad died when the humans invaded, a
nd she’s refused to talk about him. Thank you for helping us,” Ryker murmured as he rested his back against the wall.
“You look like my sister, Sydney and her mate Dracon. But you can’t be their Ryker. He died with them during the human invasion. It must be all in my head because of your name,” Shiloh replied and lifted one corner of her mouth in a smile.
“You mean the King and Queen?” Maurelle blurted. “You’re her sister?”
Shiloh nodded her head. “Yes. Sydney was my sister. Now, let me check and see if the coast is clear. Wait here.”
“Thank you,” Ryker told her and turned to Maurelle. “She was related to the previous Queen. I feel like we should be bowing to her or something.”
“I’ve never been in the company of royalty before. And, she owns a brothel.” The shock in her tone made Ryker laugh.
“Fae are a passionate species. There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he told her.
“I know that. It’s surprising that the former Queen’s sister was forced to own a brothel.”
Ryker shrugged. “You never know. She might have always owned this place.”
Before Maurelle could reply Shiloh returned. Ryker stood up and turned to steady Maurelle when she stumbled. Shiloh’s gasp had him swiveling around so fast he nearly fell on his ass. “What? Are they here?”
“No,” Shiloh said, shaking her head. There were tears gathered in her eyes, but they didn’t fall. The sight made Ryker shift from foot to foot and pick at a thread along the hem of his shirt. “The Academy assassins are after you both. You need to take care when you leave here.”
Maurelle grabbed Ryker’s arm and squeezed. “Assassins?” She squeaked.
“You mean the guards?” Ryker clarified.
“No. The Academy trains violent and efficient assassins to hunt down any Fae that goes against the system. Those are the ones after you guys,” Shiloh told them.
“How’s that possible? It’s a school for fucks sake. They don’t train killers,” Ryker blurted in denial.
