“It was worth it to spend time with you.”
The fae woman stirs and looks up at us, then focuses on me. “Thank you. Your rescue will not be forgotten.”
Fintan takes the fae guard’s hand to help her stand, and then they go invisible as they walk into the woods.
As they leave, I turn to the others and hold up the container with the feather. “Now that we have this, we can go to Faerie. I vote we leave immediately, before the Order can regroup and come after us. Go back to your rooms and gather whatever supplies you need for a couple days in Faerie. Food, water, weapons, extra clothes, whatever. Then we’ll meet in the bell tower in thirty minutes.”
"Remember that the weather in Faerie fluctuates from very hot to very cold every day," Bastien says. “Dress accordingly. We won’t want to have to use our magic unless absolutely necessary.”
“Why not?” Callan asks.
“It might alert them to our presence,” Araceli says.
“I’m going to stay behind and do what I can here,” Tanwen says. “Things are crazy after the drone attack, and someone needs to keep an eye on the Order from this side. But I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thanks for your help, Tanwen,” I say. “This wouldn’t have been possible without you.”
“Just remember our deal.” She gives me a little nod, before flying off with a beat of her bright white wings.
The rest of us split up and head back to our dorms. Araceli and I are already packed, so all we do is grab our bags, run around doing one final check to make sure we have everything, and go. We don’t want to spend a second longer in our dorm, in case Nariel or Jeremy or even Cyrus comes after us there.
Back in the field, it looks like they’re trying to get the championship game underway again, but it might be tough with two of their players missing, and half the audience hiding in fear of the Duskhunters.
“What happened at the game?” I ask Araceli, after we land at the bell tower.
“When I came out of the bathroom, Cyrus knocked me out and kidnapped me. He apologized and said he had to do it to fulfill his Order task. That snake.” Her eyes harden. “When we got to the cavern, Jeremy was already there with my dad, and someone else brought the fae guard in after that.”
My hands clench into fists. “They must have been watching our dorm or something, and grabbed your dad on his way out.”
“Probably.” She shudders a little. “Then they had the first two initiates torture us for info on getting to Faerie. They barely roughed me and my dad up, but you saw what they did to that poor woman.”
I give her a warm hug. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”
“I’m going to make them pay for what they did,” Araceli says, and I’ve never seen her look so bloodthirsty before. Not that I can blame her. First they killed her boyfriend, now they kidnapped and tortured her and her dad. I’d be out for blood too.
“We will,” I say, as the Princes arrive carrying backpacks and weapons. They begin moving furniture to give Araceli space for the portal, and I move to help them, but then I’m distracted by a knock on the door.
I open it and find Grace outside. “What are you doing here?”
“You’re going to Faerie, aren’t you?” she asks. “That’s why you took the feather. I’m coming with you.”
“No way,” Araceli says. “We can’t trust her.”
I shake my head at Grace. “Sorry, but she’s right. Your uncle is the leader of the Order.”
“Bastien will know I’m telling the truth,” she says, looking at him for confirmation. “I want to help you find Jonah.”
“True,” he says.
“Were you involved in kidnapping or torturing Araceli, her dad, or the other fae?” I ask.
“No!” Grace looks horrified by the very idea. “I was there because Nariel made me go, but I had no part in any of that, I swear.”
“Also true.”
I stare at her for a long moment. I know Bastien can sense truth, but that doesn’t mean I trust her.
She takes my hands and looks at me with pitiful eyes. “Please, Liv. I care about your brother, and I have to know what happened to him. Whether he’s alive or dead. Whether he found the Staff or not. I need to know, or I’ll never be able to find peace.”
I glance at Bastien, who nods.
“All right.” She does seem to really care about my brother, and I guess she can’t help it if her uncle is the leader of the Order. “You can come, but we’ll be watching you closely.”
“Thank you,” she says, with a relieved sigh.
Kassiel lands on the bell tower then, and everyone stares at him. I sense an awkward moment approaching.
“Kassiel is coming too,” I tell them.
“Can we trust you?” Bastien asks.
“Yes,” Kassiel says. “I want to stop the Order as much as you do, if not even more. They can’t ever get ahold of the Staff.”
Bastien crosses his arms and nods. “He’s telling the truth.”
“Let’s hurry,” Araceli says, as she cuts her hand. “Everyone stand back.”
She presses her palm to my necklace and mutters the fae words, and I hold my breath in anticipation. We’re actually going to Faerie to rescue my brother.
It’s about damn time.
Chapter Forty-Three
Marcus
In Faerie, everything is a little…more. It’s like someone turned up the volume to max on the entire world. The plants are greener. The sky is brighter. The flowers smell sweeter. Even the birds sound better somehow.
Our group made it through Araceli’s portal, and now we’re just standing in the middle of a forest, taking it all in. It’s different from the forest around Seraphim Academy. This one looks more like a rainforest, and the air is humid and hot.
“Where are we exactly?” Bastien asks.
“We’re in the Summer Court,” Araceli says. “This is where my dad’s family lives.”
“Does that mean you have Summer Court magic?” I ask her.
She spreads her hands. “I guess so? I don’t really know. Once we get back, I should probably find out.”
“Okay, I took Fae Studies two years ago, so I might be a little rusty, but time moves differently here right?” I ask.
“Yes, the season changes depending on what time of day it is,” Kassiel says. He’s still acting like our professor, even here in Faerie. “Right now it’s probably summer, which means it’s mid-day. Since we’re in the Summer Court, that season will last the longest. At night it will be winter.”
"I knew Faerie experienced all four seasons over the course of a day, but not so drastically,” Grace says with awe in her voice. "I figured the temperature changed a little."
“We need to hurry,” Callan says. “We need to find shelter before it gets dark and becomes too cold.”
Liv pulls out the black feather, which pulses with darkness, even here in Faerie. “Our best bet is to find the Staff, and hope Jonah is being held prisoner somewhere nearby. If not, maybe someone there will know where he is.”
I notice she doesn’t mention the possibility that Jonah’s been killed. It must be too hard for her to consider when we’ve come this far, although it will probably be a relief when she knows his fate, one way or the other.
Liv holds the shadowy feather up in the air. “Return to your master.”
She lets the feather go and it flitters and floats and twirls, like feathers do in the wind, before blowing on the breeze toward Kassiel. At first I think it’s not working and we’re screwed, but then it seems to hover around him for a second. He takes a step back with a frown, and the feather continues onward, flying higher into the sky with clear purpose.
Grace claps her hands together. “It’s working!”
Liv creates an invisibility bubble around all of us and the feather, and then we take off after it. First we travel by foot through the forest, moving past clueless rabbits and deer, plus some weird glowing flowers I wish we had time to
investigate, and some huge green insects I’m glad we don’t. Then the feather gets too high, and we have to fly after it, careful not to move too far from Liv. As the day grows hotter, we soar over the dense canopy of trees, which stretch for miles, only to be broken up by a castle sitting on a hill in the distance.
“What is that?” Grace asks.
"No clue. I only know a few random things about Faerie." Araceli gives us an apologetic look. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize,” Liv says. “It's your dad’s fault.”
“We should probably steer clear of it,” Callan says.
We take a break in the forest, after plucking the feather from the air and putting it back in its case. The sun beats down on us as we eat some granola bars, but none of us mind the heat. When it gets cold, we'll have to bundle up because we can't use our magic to stay warm. I just hope we can find somewhere indoors to hide for the night.
We set off again down a dirt road, with no hint of concrete or asphalt. I feel like we've stepped a thousand years into the past. The sun heads lower in the sky and the air begins to cool, while the leaves begin to change color, turning red, yellow, and orange. It’s hard not to stop and stare at the beauty all around us, but we put on some jackets and keep moving.
Then Araceli whispers, “Someone’s coming!”
Callan grabs the feather, and Liv keeps her little invisibility bubble around us as we move off the road and onto the grass. We hide in the trees as a fae male comes down the road on a beautiful white horse. He has hair the color of lemons, and he looks like he's stepped out of a Tolkien novel in a floor-length silver tunic and a gold jacket. His shoes look like they’re made of cloth.
We crane our necks as he walks by, and I breathe as quietly as possible without moving too much. When he's past us, we wait a while for him to go out of sight. Finally we can move back onto the road.
Liv starts to get the feather, but then more people appear on the road, probably a half-dozen of them, wearing similar clothes to the other fae we saw. After they pass, Callan says, “We don’t have time to hide every time more people appear. We need to keep flying.”
Liv nods, but her face is paler than normal and she moves a little slower. “I guess it’s the only way.”
“Are you all right?” I ask her. I press a hand to her forehead, and can feel how weak she is with my powers. She’s going to need to feed soon. Sunlight alone isn’t going to be enough to keep her going.
She waves off my hand. “I’m fine. It just takes a lot of energy to keep this bubble around us. Let’s keep moving.”
“We’ll have to find somewhere to stop soon,” Kassiel says, his brow pinched with concern.
“Keep an eye out as we fly,” Callan says. “Otherwise we’ll have to sleep outside, and I don’t think any of us brought our camping gear.”
We continue on as the sun sets, the air grows colder, and the leaves turn brown and begin to fall. A frigid rain soaks our clothes and sends a chill through my wings. We pass a town, but decide it’s too risky to stop there. I don’t see anything else for miles, while it gets darker and colder, and Liv grows weaker.
“There,” Kassiel calls out, pointing down below. “A ruin of some kind.”
I don’t see anything in the darkness, but we all follow him anyway, just as snow begins to fall. He leads us to a group of old stone buildings that are clearly abandoned, with some missing walls or with holes in their roof, and vines growing up the side. There’s one building that still looks mostly intact, and we land in front of it.
Callan tries to use a flashlight, but it doesn’t work. Something about Faerie blocks technology, if I remember correctly. Bastien uses some matches with some shrubbery to create a makeshift torch. We head into the building, which looks like it was abandoned long ago. At least it’s a little warmer inside.
Liv staggers as she steps inside, and I know I need to help her somehow. She needs all her strength for what’s to come tomorrow.
Once everyone is settled in, I pull Bastien aside. “Liv needs us.”
His eyebrows dart up. “Us?”
I swallow and push my lingering jealousy aside. “I read once that a succubus can feed off two men at once for an extra boost. Liv needs that tonight.”
He nods slowly. “Yes, you’re probably right. Do you think she’ll be open to such a thing?”
“Definitely.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Olivia
“I’ll take first watch,” Kassiel says. Probably a good idea, since he doesn’t feel the cold like the angels do, and can see much better in the dark. It’s how he found this place.
As everyone spreads out and tries to get comfortable while shivering, Araceli gathers some sticks and stones, building a little fire pit in the center of the room.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m not sure.” She sits back on her heels and holds out her hands, then squints in concentration. A few seconds later, the little bundle of twigs catches fire, instantly bringing heat and light to the room.
I blink at the flames. “How did you do that?”
She grins as she warms her hands over the fire. “Ever since we arrived it’s like my fae side has started waking up. Summer Court fae have fire magic, so I thought I would try it. I wasn’t sure it would work though.”
“That’s incredible.”
“When I get back, I think I’m going to learn more about my Summer magic. I’ve been trying to forget my fae side all my life, but I don’t want to do that anymore. I’m not ashamed of my fae blood, and it’s time to own it.”
“I think that’s a really good idea.” I’m so proud of Araceli. She’s grown so much this year, and it’s a real honor to be her best friend.
“Nice fire,” Callan says. “We should get more sticks to keep it going all night.”
He heads outside with Grace and Araceli, and I’m about to follow, when Marcus grabs my hand and pulls me back. “Come with me,” he says.
He leads me through the ruined building, down a long hallway, to another intact stone room. It’s much colder in here without Araceli’s fire, but Bastien is waiting next to a makeshift bed of blankets surrounded by candlelight.
“Sorry it’s not more romantic,” Marcus says. “But we did the best we could under the circumstances.”
“It’s really sweet,” I say, smiling at him.
“You need to feed,” Bastien says, getting straight to the point as usual. “On both of us.”
Sex with two guys at once? It’s like a Thanksgiving feast. I’m going to need to wear my stretchy leggings afterward. Too bad I left them at home.
I wonder where they got the blankets, but the whole thing is so sweet—and sexy—that I don't care. Plus, I'm starving and weak. I didn’t realize how bad I felt until they mentioned feeding, but now I can’t stop thinking about it.
Marcus puts his hand on my back and nudges me toward Bastien and the blankets. I taste their desire. They want to do this, together. It turns them on, the thought of sharing me.
It turns me on too.
"What are your intentions with me?" I ask with a coy smile.
Bastien looks at me with confusion on his face. "We thought you'd enjoy both of us together. Is that not the case?"
I shake my head quickly. "No, I do want it. Very much.”
“Good.” Bastien takes my hand and pulls on it, inviting me to join him on the makeshift bed. I step out of my shoes and drop to my knees, surprised to find the blankets rather comfortable.
"We found some furs," Marcus explains. "They're surprisingly plush and clean, once we shook out the dust."
He sits beside me and presses his lips to mine. His desire overwhelms my nerves and my body ignites. In all my time using men for food, I've never had a threesome, and my heart beats faster in anticipation.
The two of them take off my shirt, then make quick work of my bra. Marcus bends over me, pushing my back against Bastien’s chest. Bastien slides his hands around my front and cups my breast
s as he buries his face in my neck. I throw my head back, as Marcus moves my hair to the side so he can also press his lips on the nape of my neck. They kiss along my skin, both of them sending little sparks through my body with each soft touch.
From behind me, Bastien lifts one breast up, holding it for Marcus to lean down and wrap his lips around my nipple. He runs his tongue across the tip before sucking hard, then going soft again. I moan as he drives me mad with wanting.
My hands find their way up and into Bastien's hair as Marcus moves his lips to my other nipple, while his hands drift down my stomach to the curve of my hips. I push back on Bastien and lift my hips up so Marcus can pull off the rest of my clothes.
While Marcus gets undressed, Bastien slips his hand down between my legs and begins stroking me there, preparing me for his friend. Then Bastien digs his fingers into my thighs and spreads my legs wide. Marcus moves in, and the hunger in his eyes matches my own. His cock pushes inside me, and I cry out in pleasure as I lean back against Bastien. Marcus starts off slow, rocking me back and forth between the two of them, and I’ve never felt more adored in my life than at this moment. Having both of their bodies pressed against me, with their mouths on my skin and their hands roaming my curves, it’s the best feeling in the world. It hits me then how much I care about these two, so much more than I did even a year ago.
Lilim aren’t supposed to love, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe I can. If I do already.
Marcus’s pace increases and all thoughts flee my mind as he fills me over and over again with his amazing cock. I suck up all the sexual energy he has to offer, immediately feeling a lot better, while also wanting more. I turn my head and find Bastien’s lips, as he reaches down to rub my clit. The combination of sensations sweeps an orgasm through me, and I tighten up around Marcus, but he's nowhere near done.
He pulls out and grabs my hips, rolling me over on the blankets. “Bastien could use some attention too, don’t you think?”
“Definitely,” I agree.
Seraphim Academy 2: Sinful Things Page 20
