by Angel Lawson
I don’t say it right then, but I realize other information had been passed to me as well. Marshal showed me the real Victorine—what lies beneath the façade—a terrifying monster. Once again, I’m left with the feeling the knight is playing a different sort of game, one where his lines are blurred. It makes me wonder, is there a chance for me to bring him to our side, and what will it take to get him back over?
I’m bent on my knees and sorting through my trunk, arranging the messed-up belongings, when the door flies open. Elizabeth yelps, surprised, and I lunge for the blade in the bottom of the trunk, spinning, ready to defend our room.
“Oh,” I say, seeing that it’s just the Immortals. I toss the sword back on top of my clothes. “It’s you.”
Armin’s eyes roam over me, assessing to see if I’m physically okay. Miya’s peer into my soul—seeking psychic damage, while Agis’s pretty mouth is turned down in a frown. Rupert steps forward. “We heard Victorine had your room ransacked.”
“She did,” I say, pointing to the mess still on the floor.
“But no one was hurt?” Armin asks. He glances at Luke, who shakes his head. Elizabeth still looks a little stunned. “Why don’t you take Elizabeth down to the dining hall for some tea. We’ll help Hildi sort this out.”
There’s something laced in his tone—a demand. Luke doesn’t miss it. He wraps his arm around Elizabeth’s shoulder and escorts her past the hulking men and through the door.
Once they’re gone and the door is shut, I cross my arms and stare at the Immortals.
“What?” I ask.
“Obviously they’re looking for the key. Is this the first time this has happened?” Armin asks.
I wrinkle my nose. Technically, yes. It is the first time they’ve broken into my room, but I know that’s not all they’re asking. “I did get jumped in the hall a few weeks ago.”
“Jumped?” Rupert asks, his voice cracking. “You didn’t tell us?”
“Darius had my back, actually. It was fine.”
Agis’ frown has morphed into something different. His jaw is clenched tight and he watches me with narrowed eyes.
“Where were you when this happened?” Miya asks.
I take a deep breath. “Right, so,” I say, wrapping my hand around the railing at the foot of my bed. “I got a message to take something up to Victorine’s rooms. Turns out, she wasn’t there.”
Armin opens his mouth to ask. I hold up a hand. “It was Marshal. It was a diversion to keep me from being down here.”
“Bastard,” Rupert mutters.
“So you just run when they snap their fingers?” Agis asks, speaking for the first time. “Why didn’t you check to make sure it was a legitimate request?”
I roll my eyes and walk over to my desk, picking up a few knocked over items. “It’s happened before. I figured it was the same thing.”
The silence in the room is deafening.
I turn and see the four of them in various states of horror, annoyance, and irritation.
“You’ve taken things to Victorine alone before?”
“Oh, no, not her.” I stack a few books. “Roland. He had me bring him this tray of food, I mean, at least is wasn’t rotten, dead animals. But I did have to see him in his robe.”
I shudder.
Armin takes a deep breath. “When was this?”
“The other day.” I glance at Rupert. “Before you and I, you know.”
Rupert’s mind whirls a mile-a-minute. “That outfit you wore to my room. The vest? The shorts? The heels? That’s what you wore to serve Roland?”
“It’s not like I had much choice.”
The only sound is a crack—like metal snapping in two. I look up and see the door knob broken off from the door itself, clutched in Agis’ hand.
“What the hell, Agis?” I step forward, but he’s gone, out of the room before I can get closer. Another sound follows, the whirring of metal through air and the clang of something being hurtled down the long hallway.
Miya shifts on his feet, looking at the others. “I’ll go.”
He exits the room and closes the door. Not before I hear a loud slam.
Rupert, Armin, and I face one another. I run a hand down my braids. “Look, all of this is game play. It’s meant to throw me off by making me uncomfortable.”
“And exploiting you,” Armin adds.
“What they’re doing to me? I can handle. I’m not unaccustomed to sex and bodies being used as weapons.”
Rupert stares at the floor. “Is that why you came to me? Because you’d been in Roland’s room?”
“I came to you because I needed comfort, stability, and balance.” I close the distance between us. Armin watching closely. “I came to you because it was time. You needed me. I needed you. That’s what this is all about.”
He looks up at me, that boyish-handsome face struggling with hurt. Relationships don’t come easy for him. Sex, love, power, domination…it’s all wound up in his head.
“What we shared? It was amazing. You gave me strength while Roland tried to tear me down.” I take his hand then look over my shoulder at Armin. I stretch my hand toward him. He takes it, threading his fingers through mine. I tug him close. “I need you. Both of you.”
All of them.
“They can’t get to me as long as I have your support and your affection. We’re bonded—like Morgan and the Ravens. We make each other powerful.” I assess the messy room. “So powerful it scares them.”
Armin wraps his arms around me, kissing me on my neck, while Rupert finally makes eye contact, his insecurities seeming to fade. I grab the front of his shirt and pull him to me, kissing him. His tongue pushes between my lips and his hips brush against mine—he’s hard. Always.
I feel Armin’s lips trailing hot on my neck, igniting sparks that flicker across my skin. I don’t shy away from him—either of them—and glance over at my bed. The sheets are torn and the mattress has been slashed, but that doesn’t stop me.
I break free and pick the quilt up off the floor and spread it over the bed, kicking off my shoes and climbing on top. Rupert eyes are wide, while Armin’s? They’re hungry.
“They can destroy whatever they want. I have the key. I have you.” I beckon them toward me. “Let’s show them how powerful we really can be.”
25
Armin
It happens faster than I imagine, more seamlessly. Clothing shed, bodies exposed, arousal peaked. I shouldn’t be surprised. Hildi owns us, body and soul. A snap of her fingers and we’re doomed.
I vaguely think about how this would work way better on the king-sized bed in my room, but there’s also something extremely intimate about lying side by side. After the violation, emotionally and with her possessions, Hildi needs comfort. Rupert and I can provide that. Even if he’s not ready for much more than a cuddle and kiss.
This is the part of relationships the Prince needs to understand. Selflessness. Intimacy. Comfort. There isn’t a second of the day I don’t think of this woman. I buy into it all; that she’s our leader, that she’s the bond. Most of all, because I feel it like a deep ache in my bones, I know this woman is my mate.
I also know I can’t have her alone, and I think it’s the magic of it all, the enchantment that strips away the jealousy of one another—but not the territorialism from outsiders. That’s something different, and if she asks me, I’ll tell her, the next time Roland calls her to his chambers she’ll smell like one thing.
An Immortal.
Or two.
“Thank you for lying with me,” she says, running her hands down both of our arms. A charge of electricity runs between us, further proof of magic. “Today was long, and exhausting.”
I prop myself up on my elbow to get a good look at her. Although we’re stripped bare, she’s still in the black work shirt made for the Alante servants, not a goddess of her height and stature. I kiss her temple, her cheek, then chin.
Her hand lifts to touch my face, thumb running over my bott
om lip. I capture her mouth with mine and reach for the buttons on her shirt. I unfasten them slowly while kissing her deeply, her tongue lazily stroking against mine. With Rupert’s help I peel it off her body, tossing it across the floor. Her skin is soft, perfection. Molded by the gods. Her hand reaches for Rupert’s, guiding him to touch her. He cups her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers.
I give him a wink, proud that he’s joined in.
His cheeks burn red, probably from both the act and from excitement. Hildi reaches out and runs her hand through his hair, then pulls his mouth to hers. The twinge of arousal I get from seeing them together is unexpected. And very, very consuming.
I settle down, trailing kisses down her shoulder, across her hot skin to her breast. I lick the hard, pebbled nipple and latch on, pleased to elicit a low moan of approval.
“Gods,” she mutters, writhing on the bed. Her hips rise, seeking.
“Is that good?” I ask, breathing hot on her wet skin.
She nods vigorously. “Yes.”
“More?”
Another nod.
I can already smell her want, and as much as I’d like to bend her over and fuck her senseless, it’s important that what we share isn’t aggressive. I don’t think Rupert can handle it. He also needs to understand this is about Hildi. We’re here for her.
Even if she does seem to have other plans.
She reaches for both of us at the same time, pawing at our hardened cocks. Even though we’re legends, Immortals, all three carved by the hands of a god, we’re not perfect—not crammed in this tiny bed, our minds overwhelmed with arousal. There are hands everywhere, mouths, too.
I shift her a little so that she’s facing Rupert and her backside is pressed against my groin. She kisses him as I push up the tiny black skirt, skimming my hands over the swell of her backside, tugging at the thin scraps of lace. She pushes against me, an invitation. Slipping my fingers under the lace at her hips, I pull, snapping the fabric in two.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a warrior, it’s best to just remove obstacles to get what you want. And what I want is between Hildi’s legs.
Thank the gods she wants it, too.
26
Rupert
Everything.
Everything.
Everything.
That’s how I feel as the scene unfolds around me. With me.
Her tits, her mouth, her pussy…it’s all perfection. And Armin? I’ve never seen him like this; unburdened and focused. Hildi is his purpose.
I get it.
I understand, more in this moment than ever before.
I watch in fascination as Hildi reaches behind her, guiding Armin, and spreading her legs. With the other, she slides her fingers over the length of my shaft. I shiver, feeling it in my bones. I kiss her and pluck at her nipple and between her legs, rubbing the swollen, aroused nub.
Her back arches when I touch her, her ass lifted for Armin to enter. I sense the moment he slides inside her. His jaw clenches with restraint, and then he thrusts in. She lurches forward, her teeth sinking down on my lip. I taste the copper of blood and she looks at me, eyes glazed, and licks the spot.
It takes a minute to establish a rhythm, six hands, three mouths, and thirty hard-working fingers, but we get there. Armin thrusts, Hildi’s tits move in time, her hand tugging and pulling me into a frenzy. I taste and tease. Anything to bring her higher.
It’s like the room around us fades, the Academy another place, and all that’s left is the heady sound of lovemaking.
And that’s when it snaps in place.
Like a click, so loud that it startles my eyes open, and I look at the two people in front of me, caught in mutual passion. There’s no doubt they heard it, too. An echo rattling around my brain.
Hildi’s jaw drops, her orgasm triggered, while Armin buries his head in her shoulder, trying to hold on. My balls heat, seizing, cum unleashing, milky and hot, all over her chest and hands. Unable to hold out a second longer, Armin jolts upward, back rigid as he roars with relief.
We pant together, sticky with sweat, but the feeling that’s come over me isn’t just post-orgasm glow. It’s more. Definable. Powerful.
I reach my hand behind Armin’s neck and pull both of them to me, kissing Hildi on the mouth.
We’ve mated.
27
Hildi
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to.”
“It may not be safe,” Armin says. We’re walking toward the main entrance of the Academy. It’s the day after he, Rupert, and I shared the most epic experience. I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours feeling like I’ve been walking on a cloud.
“Look, someone else should know where I’ve hidden the,” I lower my voice, “you-know-what. I know you’ll guard that information with your life.”
He frowns, and we step outside. It’s early evening and the air outside is brisk. I haven’t liked coming out here since that night Armin and I fell over the wall and he was attacked by a monster. The same night the key was discovered using my blood to destroy the orb that had been keeping it hidden. As unsafe as the interior of the Academy feels at times, it’s nothing like the grounds. Which is exactly why I hid the key out here.
“Someone could be watching us,” he warns, following me across the large, stone pavers.
“I’m sure they are and all they will see is a student and instructor walking the grounds.”
Not everyone is afraid of the grounds, which is evidenced by the number of students out here after dinner. In fact, I think many students come outside to get away from the claustrophobic tension in the building. Victorine’s challenges have become tiresome. People are on edge. The royals are not used to being terrorized like this. They’re used to control.
“Rupert gave me the box to hide it in,” I explain. “He found it in the archives. It’s iron and enchanted. Location spells don’t work on it.”
“Rupert’s very smart.”
I look over at the warrior. “Are you surprised he joined us yesterday?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
A small smile twists at his lips. “Because you presented this to him the right way. You gave him a purpose. A strategy. It makes sense.”
“You don’t think he’s just passionate about me?” I cross the grassy grounds toward the imposing wall that surrounds the Academy; a place neither of us really want to go.
“He has to get past his brain to use his emotions. You managed it.”
There’s a thick wooded area and we duck inside. Armin surveys our surroundings carefully, making sure no one is watching us. Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. All Victorine and Roland will see is the two of us together. That can’t come as a surprise.
I slide my hand into his and walk down a worn pebbled path. We walk quietly until it ends at a small garden. There’s a circular fountain. A sculpture is in the center. A triangle. Water rushes down all three sides, into the pool.
Armin pulls me close and hovers his mouth close to mine. “Is it here?”
“No.” I tilt my head and flick my tongue out to lick his bottom lip. He doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me and kisses me hard.
When we part he says, “You just brought me out here to make out? No complaints, but I am a little confused.”
“You know the gargoyle by the south wall?” I say it in a low voice, between kisses. He pulls my body close and I feel his arousal.
“I do.”
“In.”
Kiss.
“His.”
Kiss.
“Mouth.”
I thrust my tongue between his lips, feeling the hum through my whole body. That’s where I’d hidden the box with the key. In the gargoyle's mouth, tucked beneath a thatch of moss.
“And you brought me here as a diversion? Couldn’t you have just told me inside?”
“I could have,” I say, running my hands down his strong arms, “but I knew us go
ing here would drive them wild with speculation. And I also didn’t want to pass up a quiet moment with you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Yep.”
He lifts me and spins me toward a tree with smooth, ash-colored bark. He presses me against it, presses himself against me. “I guess you’re right. If Roland wants to watch us…”
“Then we may as well give him a show.”
Armin gives it his best, like he always does, making me a shuddering mess. I don’t tell him why I’ve shown him the key, why I think someone else needs to know. I have no doubt that Victorine and Roland plan on escalating their plans, something that will undoubtedly include me. I’m not giving up. I’m being smart, and telling my strongest ally is the smartest thing I can do.
28
Miya
The sea of students parts as Hildi strides through them. I’d heard the chatter about the violation of her personal space. I’d also felt the worlds colliding right after—an alignment in forces that only confirms that we are, indeed, linked.
But right now she looks upset. Angry. I see the truth on her face.
She wants payback.
She needs peace.
I cut her off when she passes my rooms.
“Get out of my way, Miya.”
“What’s wrong?”
She grimaces. “Elizabeth is struggling with the ransacking of our room. They destroyed some personal items. Honestly, they did more to her belongings than my own. I think it was intentional—to sow discord.”
“You’re probably right, and I know that makes you angry—”
“I’m past angry. I’m livid,” she says. “So move. I’m looking for someone to punch.”
Her eyes are wild with emotion.
“Then let’s go to the gym.”
“I don’t want to go to the gym.”
“You can use my sword—it’s a good way to burn off some steam.”
“Your sword?” Her eyes flick down below my belt. “Is that what you’re calling it now? I didn’t see you as the type that likes an angry fuck, but okay.”
