Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection

by Nikki Bolvair

  Unable to adequately maneuver, the dragon flew straight into one of the many pillars in the room, snapping it in half. Shrapnel of stone scattered around, and James’s power hummed through his veins as the debris ripped through his brother’s arm.

  James stepped away from Rhea, the action almost involuntary as he couldn’t quite shake the compulsion to heal. Before any of them realized what the king dragon planned, he slipped in behind her and gripped her shoulder in his sharp talons. She screamed as he dragged her away from her protectors.

  All three realized at once, if the king couldn’t take her power, he’d kill her. Letting her live didn’t factor into his plans unless it served his purposes.

  Unnoticed by the dragon, Mirror darted through the room, landing near Eric. She spread her wings, displaying an image he didn’t completely understand.

  James blinked, seeming to come out of a trance as the bird trilled sharply, understanding immediately what she tried to show them. “We need to give our magic to Mirror!”

  The dragon inhaled deeply, loving the smell of Rhea’s terror while trapped in his claws. It gripped her shoulders a little harder, its talons digging into her flesh, making her squirm and cry out.

  Holding Mirror in his hand, James turned to watch Rhea struggle in the dragon’s grasp. His heart raced. If this didn’t work…

  Forcing his power to flow into the bird, she began to glow green. The more power he pushed into her, the brighter she became. When Eric and Adrian placed their own hands on Mirror, to add their own power, a flash of light appeared, bright enough to distract the dragon from Rhea.

  As Mirror forced the magic into her body, her skin itched, and her breath caught in her throat. She coughed as she struggled to find room for the new magic flowing into her, willing herself to breathe. At this rate, Mirror would be the one to kill her. Even her hair absorbed the power. It crackled with static, making it stand on end. When she couldn’t take it anymore, something inside of her changed, the pressure eased. She still held the power, but it seemed contained somehow.

  A familiar voice ghosted past her ear, louder than the sudden dragon’s roar. “You’ve got this. Remember your training.”

  Slipping her fingers into a pouch around her waist, her fingers found the mirrored ball Oregaine gave her. Blood dripped down her arms, making it difficult to grasp the orb. After a few tries, she pressed it against her waist, using the pressure to keep herself from dropping it. Without stopping to consider the impossibility, Rhea pushed her magic to its limit, creating a vortex within the palm-sized ball. The dragon couldn’t stop the sudden pull the orb had on him. He scrambled for purchase on the slick, broken tile floor, but his claws wouldn’t hook into anything that didn’t immediately break loose.

  With a loud pop, it seemed as though the orb ate the dragon as it pulled the large beast into its reflection. Moments later, a pair of red eyes peered out at her. Smoke poured out of the dragon’s mouth. Startled, the orb fell from her fingers. They watched in stunned silence as it shattered into three equal pieces, the sudden quiet broken by the soft, tinkling sound of glass shards tumbling to the ground.

  Immediately, all three guys rushed to Rhea, where she sat shivering in shock. A faint glow brightened her dark tresses as Eric reached her first, dropped to his knees to draw her into his arms.

  He thought when he gave his power to Rhea, it drained him, but he still possessed enough magic to start to warm Rhea and the room.

  “Are you okay?”

  Rhea nodded, although she seemed to be moving on autopilot. “I think so. I just…” Shaken, she took a deep breath, trying to settle her mind. They had defeated the king. Her boys could do as they pleased now. Fire vibrated under her skin at Eric’s touch, calling to him. “I don’t know if I can give you back your power.” She avoided his gaze as regret flooded her.

  Eric shook his head. “I could live without my magic. I can’t live without you.”

  Her cheeks heated, unsure how to respond to his last comment. She needed time for it to process.

  James dropped at her side, taking her hand in both of his. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. We gave our magic freely.”

  Kneeling down on the other side of his brother and Rhea, Adrian frowned in thought as he manipulated the stalagmite beside him, forcing it back into the ground. “Besides, I don’t think you took our magic.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Forgiveness

  “What do you mean she didn’t take our magic?” Eric watched his brother impossibly manipulate the ground around him. “We gave it to her.”

  “Yeah, but does it seem like your magic is gone? Mine sure doesn’t,” James admitted, letting his power flow through his and Rhea’s connected fingers, searching for injuries and repairing small hurts along the way. Her shoulders appeared to be the worst, and he stopped to concentrate his power on the deep lacerations from the dragon king’s talons.

  Wincing as her skin knit back together, she tried to concentrate on her abilities. Flicking her wrist, a flamelet ran over her fingers. “I don’t sense a difference.” Her affinity for fire paled in comparison to a fire mage like Eric, but calling it seemed to come easier than breathing. Once James was done healing her, he stood and took a step back from her.

  “Let’s figure out the magic in a bit. First, we need to figure out what to do with these shards of glass.” James picked up a fragment of the shattered mirror, holding it up to the light. About the size of his palm, a small image of a dragon flew at him, smoke curling out of his parted lips. He nearly dropped the shard, afraid the dragon would find a way out of the mirror.

  Shifting in Eric’s embrace, he adjusted his hold to help her stand. Unfolding from his position, he steadied her. After a moment, Rhea stepped up behind James. “We’re going to need to find a way to dispose of this…”

  Following, Eric stepped forward, flames licking at his arm as he reached for the glass.

  James put a hand on Eric’s other arm, stopping him. “Frying it won’t do any good. Once a being gets trapped in something, they become immortalized in the object. There’s no way to destroy the item afterwards.”

  Glaring at the shards, Eric scowled. “Then what do we do with it?”

  Rhea ran her thumb against the smooth glass. “What if we spread the shards of glass across the world? I could talk to your father about helping us…”

  Naturally, Eric doubted any plan which involved his father. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to speak with him. Could there be another way we can get rid of the pieces?”

  Sighing at his immediate dismissal, Rhea stared unseeing at the remaining shard near her feet. “You and your father need to talk. And it’s probably best if we send multiple people out with a small handful of shards. If the mirror gets put back together, the dragon can be brought back. We should make it incredibly hard for that to happen.”

  “Fine. When do we go to meet him?”

  “Now.” Rhea scanned the room, searching for a way to carry the glass fragments. “Look around, we need a way to carry the shards with us. Three containers would work best, otherwise it might try to fuse back together.”

  With a muttered curse, Adrian stood and strode over to the door. “I’ll go find something.”

  Following his brother, James went to keep him out of trouble. Before long both came back. One of them carried a shallow ceramic bowl, while the other one carried a couple of woven baskets.

  Rhea gathered all three shards, careful to keep them from touching, and dropped one in each container.

  “I’m surprised no one’s come to check on the king,” Eric remarked, taking one of the baskets.

  James dusted some dirt off his knees. “If you’ll remember, this room lacked people when we arrived. Given the fear and awe most people had for the king, they probably feared entering the room. And his guards probably wait for his command because, I imagine, he punished anyone who entered without permission.”

  James spoke the truth, and Eric nodded sl
owly, as if reluctant to agree. “You’re probably right.”

  It amazed Rhea how easy she found it to open the portal to Oregaine’s house. “We should go.” She motioned to the temporary doorway. They could debate why no one came running, but they wouldn’t know for sure until they watched what happened next.

  After he stopped James from entering the portal, Eric stepped through the swirling vortex of a door first, standing tall. It hurt her heart he intended to protect his brothers from a man who loved them.

  ~

  A man sat at a table, his dark head bent over a book. As Eric took the man in, it struck him how strongly the twins resembled this man, though their blond locks stood in sharp contrast. The man stood up, smiling tightly. “Please come in, Eric. Give your brothers room to exit the portal.”

  He stepped away from the doorway, scowling. “You don’t seem surprised I’m here. You knew we were coming?”

  He observed his son, obviously pleased. “As the god of fate, I expect everything. Also, Rhea needed to come home.”

  The twins both stepped through the portal, James nearly tripping over Adrian.

  Their awestruck expression made Oregaine smile as he took the containers holding the orb from each of them. “Excuse me for a moment.” He set them all down on his table before stepping outside.

  After Rhea entered, Mirror let the portal close and landed on her shoulder.

  Seconds later, Oregaine returned with a soft smile on his face. “I’ve sent a messenger for help with the distribution of these.” He gestured at the bowl and two baskets on the table.

  Clearly irritated, Eric snapped out, “And what are we supposed to do while we wait?”

  “I’ve prepared lodging for all of you to rest. Food will be ready shortly or Rhea can show you to the bathing rooms if you’d like to clean up. After, I hope we can sit down and talk, but I understand if it’s too soon. If and when you’re ready, I’m here.”

  Waiting for the boys to decide what they wanted to do next, Rhea stood nearby. It didn’t surprise her when, after seeing his older brother’s scowl, James spoke for all of them. “We’d like to clean up, and perhaps rest. Could we sit down over food in a couple of hours?”

  His shoulders slumped as Adrian asked his twin, “You want me to wait a few more hours before eating?”

  Fascinated by his father, James didn’t even glance in his twins’ direction. “Now that the danger is over, are you going to be able to stay awake?”

  His twin knew him. Chances are, he’d fall asleep as soon as he sat down. “For food, I might.”

  James snorted, not bothering to reply.

  Their father gave a slight bow. “Of course. I will be ready whenever you would like to talk.”

  “Someone will bring us clothes?” she asked Oregaine as she moved in the direction of the door leading outside.

  He inclined his head. “I’ll send someone straight away.”

  She led the boys down the street. When Rhea entered a small, nondescript building, the twins were pleased to discover they didn’t have far to walk.

  Once inside, Rhea showed them which room they should use for their baths before heading to a separate one.

  Eyes widening, Eric stepped inside. A little pond sat in the center of the room, surrounded by various bits of flora. It wouldn’t have surprised him to find some wildlife grazing nearby.

  Moving around a group of flowers, Adrian stepped closer to the water. “How clean are we going to get, bathing with the fish in cold water?”

  His twin came up next to him, touching the water with his fingers. “It’s warm.” After inspecting it, he added, “And clear enough to see to the bottom. It also doesn’t appear deep, nor am I noticing any fish.”

  Shaking his head, Eric sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

  They stepped into the water moments before a young boy entered the room. “Clothes for you.” He set an arm full of breeches and tunics near the door, and then came forward to place some soaps near the edge of the pool.

  “Uh, thank you,” Adrian said as the boy quickly turned, leaving the room without further acknowledgment.

  The brothers found themselves a bit off-kilter, not knowing the rules of etiquette here.

  After they bathed and took a quick nap, they were all refreshed. With a better outlook, Eric agreed to give their father a chance to explain before passing judgment. Together, the brothers made the short walk back to the original house.

  Entering, they found Rhea sitting in the living area, curled on a chaise lounge and holding a mug of tea while chatting with Oregaine. Observing them, her relationship with his father seemed so easy. A part of Eric couldn’t help be a little jealous.

  She glanced up as they stepped all the way into the room, smiling at Eric as she blew on her drink before taking a sip.

  Upon their entry, Oregaine stood and gestured at the table. “Please, sit. I’ll get your food.”

  The boys wordlessly took their seats. It seemed weird to Eric, a god serving them, but he stayed silent. He would do this for the twins. With a glance at Rhea, he realized he’d be doing this for her as well.

  Returning with a tray of food, Oregaine handed each of the boys a large bowl of stew and a few slices of buttered bread. “I know life hasn’t been easy for you,” he started, watching his oldest as he took his own seat. When his son kept silent, he went on, “As the god of fate, it is my duty to keep humanity going. In a way, I protect them. Most of the time, I’m indifferent to the job, but it is the reason for my creation.” He scratched at his neck, proceeding cautiously with his tale. “For me to do my job, I get visions of the future, where I personally need to take action. So let’s start there with my visions. It began with some people in the future who will need to be brought together.”

  “What does bringing people together in the future have to do with us? How far into the future?” Eric flung his questions at the older man in rapid succession.

  “Visions and timelines are not exact. In this case, it’s safe to say at least a couple of centuries-”

  He interrupted again. “Centuries? Won’t we be dead by then?”

  Oregaine blinked in surprise. Rubbing a hand across his forehead, Adrian didn’t try to hide his exasperation with his brother. “Could you let him finish?”

  Their father’s amusement was evident when he answered Eric’s questions. “I’m getting there. And no, as a half-god, you and your brothers could potentially live forever.” He paused at the look of shock on their faces, to give the boys time to process and ask more questions. When they stayed silent, he continued. “I asked my orb how I could get these people together.”

  “Orb?” James asked with interest.

  “My orb and Rhea’s bird share similarities, only my orb doesn’t live. It showed me I would need Rhea, but she would need to become a goddess in order to help.” Rhea took a sip of her tea, only half listening.

  “But Rhea isn’t a goddess or is she?” Worry pinched his features, and Eric turned to examine the woman he wanted the chance to court.

  “A god or goddess can only come about in two ways. They are created by another god, or they need at least one person willing to give up everything to save them while receiving the blessing of a patron.” Understanding dawned between the brothers. “When the three of you voluntarily offered up your magic to save her, you helped her become one.”

  Not really paying attention to the empty spoon he stared at, Eric considered the information he knew. “And you needed us to give up our magic?”

  “In a way. Orb showed me the woman who would have my children, and those children would be the ones to help Rhea. At first, I figured your mother would be simply the woman to bear my children, but the more I got to know her…” Oregaine smiled as he remembered his late wife, although Eric noticed the tears gathered in the corner of his eyes. “The harder I fell.”

  “And then you left.” His feelings of anger, frustration, and maybe just a little bit of longing for his father jumbled u
p inside him.

  “Never having loved before and finding it in your mother, leaving her became the single hardest thing I’ve ever done in my long life. You need to understand; Marin wouldn’t care if mankind needed you. Those in charge decided long ago I should never have children. They didn’t want to take the chance of a half-god possibly being born with the gift of foresight. To keep the three of you alive, I needed to disappear from the mortal world.”

  “You left to keep us safe?” Eric’s voice sounded soft and slightly confused. His father hadn’t left because he stopped caring about them or their mom? He scowled. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—believe his father wasn’t given a choice in this matter. Abruptly, he stood and stormed out of the house, slamming the back door in the process. Everyone had a choice, and his father made his.

  He heard Rhea call his name and found himself on his knees, surrounded by large, yellow flowers. Panting with anger, he turned his head to catch sight of her. “Don’t tell me it’s wrong of me to hate him.”

  Kneeling down next to him, she took one of his hands in both of hers. “I can’t tell you how to feel.”

  His eyes locked on hers. He knew not listening to what his father wanted to tell him was unreasonable, but the small voice in his head kept reminding him his father abandoned them. Did he know they became orphans? Did he know no one watched out for them?

  Rhea ran her fingers along the knuckles of his clenched hands. “I can’t pretend to know what you’re going through. My own parents actually told me I was too difficult of a child when they dropped me off at the orphanage.”

  Drawing strength from her presence, he leaned against her. “I don’t know if I could forgive the man who walked away from his family as easily as he did.”

  “I don’t know if it helps at all,” she whispered, “but I witnessed his sorrow and pain, and he didn’t do it easily.”