Magic Swap (Hidden World Academy Book 1)

by Sadie Moss

  “Does that ever get any easier?” I grumble.

  “I’m not counting on it,” Cross rasps, while the other two look at us like we’re the weird ones for hating portal travel. Theo’s hair isn’t even the tiniest bit ruffled, damn him.

  Cross and I lean on each other as we shake off the lingering nausea, and the four of us walk through the fae realm back to the city and the palace.

  We draw a crowd, the same as last time, only now there’s more active whispering going on as we pass. I don’t know if the fae know about our deal with King Anzac and they’re surprised we succeeded, or if they don’t know and are just shocked we returned at all, but either way, I can tell we’re being gossiped about.

  It’s very disconcerting. Bad enough when people are talking about you and you can pick up on some of it—worse is when they’re speaking a language you don’t even understand.

  The massive market is lively and loud as we walk through. I wonder if the fae have a night and a day, a time for resting when everything closes down, or if they just sleep when they want to and stay awake while they can. I get the feeling that time has a different meaning here, and that this market just goes on and on, with sellers and buyers coming and going as they please, a perpetual Renaissance Faire.

  We follow the route we took before by memory, and when we reach the palace doors, we hesitate and look at each other for a moment. There are no guards waiting outside, nobody we can talk to and say oh, hey, we’re back.

  I feel a little awkward, like we arrived fashionably late to a party only to realize we showed up on the wrong day, but we can’t stop now, so I reach up and knock on the doors.

  They swing open silently.

  Hoo boy.

  I walk in, the guys flanking me. “Still got it?” I whisper to Cross as we walk down the pure white, marble hall.

  Without our guide, the carvings on the walls seem not so much fascinating as scary, with the way they move as I watch them out of the corner of my eye. The realm that was beautiful to me before now seems eerie, unknowable, and dangerous.

  Finally, we reach the doors that lead into the king’s chambers, and I knock once again.

  They swing open.

  This room looks the same as it did the first time we came. The kaleidoscope of colors from the gems on the floor and the stained glass windows is so overwhelming I have to blink a few times to clear my eyes.

  King Anzac is inside, lounging on his throne, reading what looks like—a newspaper?

  He glances up as we enter, and with a flick of his wrist, the newspaper vanishes. “I am rather fond of the sports section,” he admits with a toothy grin.

  Then he rises in a fluid motion and walks down to us. “You are back quickly. I appreciate punctuality. So often with your ilk, there is at least one attempt to renege on a deal. We do not appreciate such behavior, as I’m sure you can imagine.” His golden eyes gleam.

  Cross pulls the ring out of his pocket and makes a few hand motions, undoing the protection spell he put on it, and then hands the ring to me. I present it to King Anzac.

  King Anzac stares at the ring for a moment, inspecting it without touching it. Finally, he reaches out, plucking it from my hand. He rolls it over in his palm, then nods. His smile is pleased.

  “This is indeed our ring, the one which was taken from us unlawfully. So many times we would gift freely what is taken, in exchange for other things. Is that not how the world ought to work? And yet people take from us as if we are less than they are. As if it is sport.”

  He slides the ring onto his finger, and my curiosity gets the better of me. “How did they even manage to steal from you in the first place?”

  “The manner of thief determines the manner of theft,” King Anzac replies. “Your twin used powerful enchantments to make herself seem fae, and then once she had reached my palace, made herself unseeable to the eye. Such magic to fool us, even for a short time, is powerful and taxing. I can only imagine she was exhausted and in great pain by the time she activated the disc.”

  Huh. That would explain my bad entry into the Hidden World, actually.

  If Roxie felt she was out of time and stole the Disc of Eile using magic that drained her energy so badly, then switched us out right away, she wouldn’t have had time to recover, so she would’ve been messy about using the disc. That probably led to a bad landing on both our parts.

  “But the man who stole this from me…” King Anzac’s smile is both pained and amused as he holds up his hand to show off the ring. “…he had to take it from my finger. He won my favor and stole the ring from my bedchamber after I had given him my trust.”

  Cross coughs to cover up a chuckle. Kasian looks fascinated. “Sorry, so it’s true that you do sometimes take human lovers? Have you ever had human-fae hybrids?”

  “Oh my God.” I grab Kasian and shove him behind me. “Ignore him, he’s a history scholar.”

  King Anzac, thank God, still looks amused and not angry. “Well, if your companion has questions about the fae, we are happy to answer them. There are many misconceptions about our kind, and perhaps, if you were to learn of our true ways, you would help stop the spread of such falsities?”

  Kasian looks like he’d actually really like to bombard the king with a million questions, but I’m kind of in a time crunch here.

  “Perhaps…”

  I’m about to say perhaps another time, but then King Anzac goes on.

  “You may ask as many questions as you like at the celebration this evening. Held partially in honor of our friendship, of course, and partially in honor of such a valuable item being returned to us at last.”

  Oh. Well, crap, we can’t exactly say no to fae hospitality.

  “We won’t be stuck here if we eat any of your food, will we?” Theo asks.

  King Anzac chuckles. “If you had come here uninvited? Yes, for we would be feeding you, providing you sustenance, and you would owe us a favor in return. But we have an equal partnership now, do we not? And you are being asked as guests. Nothing you consume here will bind you to stay.”

  That’s a relief.

  “In the meantime, I shall have my craftspeople work on your charm.” King Anzac inclines his head to me. “It will be ready by the time the feast is over. One turn of the night sky in your world.”

  So, by tomorrow.

  Okay, that’s not too bad. We can afford that.

  It’s not like anyone can really get to us down here anyway. If St. Claire or someone wants to come after me, they’ll have to get through the fae, and good fucking luck with that.

  “We would be honored, your majesty,” I tell him with a curtsy. I’m not sure exactly what the expected protocol is here, but I’m still wearing an evening gown, so it feels appropriate. Besides, it’s a smart idea to stay on the good side of the fae. Who knows when I might need their help again?

  If nothing else, they can vouch for me if the authorities figure out who I really am and want to throw me in a dungeon or something. King Anzac can prove that it wasn’t my fault I got here and maybe even assist them a little in switching us back. If he chooses to.

  I need him as an ally.

  “Excellent.” The king claps his hands, and suddenly—after that awful swooping feeling in my stomach again, ugh—we’re no longer in his colorful throne room, but in the main hall of white stone.

  And holy shit, it’s been transformed.

  Chapter 34

  While we were busy talking to King Anzac, the fae who manage the palace were clearly hard at work setting this up.

  Before, the hall was empty, and our footsteps echoed on the marbled floors. Now it’s filled with an immense, long table, and colored banners and tapestries hang from the ceiling, reaching all the way down to the floor. Torches burn in sconces on the pillars, and the flames they give off aren’t just the usual orange, but dozens of shades, from blue to purple to green.

  There are fae of every kind imaginable at the table, some seated, others standing, some even dancing on
the table. I see new types of fae that I didn’t notice last time I was here, ones with mottled, green-speckled skin like frogs, and others with massive antlers.

  The shadows that are cast on the walls seem to have a mind of their own, dancing and cavorting, acting out elaborate scenes.

  If I’d thought the fancy party we just went to was magical, it had nothing on this. But where the Golden Rose Gala was a charity ball, upscale and dignified, filled with the rich and powerful—this is utter chaos. This is pure insanity.

  I kind of like it, actually. These fae really know how to throw a good party.

  The table is laden with food, and my stomach rumbles.

  All right, sure, I’ll have something to eat. Now that I know it won’t trap me here forever.

  King Anzac gestures for us to approach the table and then glides off in the opposite direction, presumably to talk to his craftspeople about the charm for me.

  Cross grins and grabs a golden goblet filled with rich, plum-colored liquid. “All right, now this is what I call fun!”

  “It’s certainly something, all right,” Theo remarks, looking off into the shadows.

  I turn to see what he’s talking about, and—oh, um, okay, there is definitely sex happening everywhere, in every combination imaginable. The writer of the Kama Sutra could learn a thing or two down here.

  I quickly look away, my face heating up, and grab some food and wine. As awkward as I feel being in the middle of all this, I can’t help but feel a stirring of heat in my gut too. And now that I know what’s going on, I can’t help but hear the moans and sighs of ecstasy that reach out from the shadows and seem to wrap themselves around me, worming their way into my ears.

  Kasian seems fascinated by everything. His gaze swivels from side to side, taking in as much as he can, and he looks like he wishes he had a notebook with him to start scribbling down observations. He grabs some wine as well, and then so does Theo. The tall warlock’s gray eyes are narrowed slightly, and he still looks a bit concerned by this whole deal.

  We take a seat at one end of the table, and as we eat and drink, we all start to relax, even Theo.

  As the night wears on, various fae come up to us, asking questions. They seem fascinated by us—and most of them are definitely trying to pick us up. Fae of every gender and type try to put their hands on me, and I have to politely tell them I’m not interested.

  The soft sighs and moans and occasional loud cries are still filtering into my ears through the din of the party, and I shift a little in my seat as an ache builds in my core.

  To be honest, I’m not actually disinterested.

  I do want sex, so very badly, just not with any of the fae who approach us.

  With the men. All three of them.

  It’s been eating away at me for weeks. How do I choose? How could I possibly?

  And maybe there’s something extra in this fae wine, or maybe it’s just been a long day, who knows, but as I watch the guys together… I realize something.

  Cross is laughing so hard he’s snorting wine up his nose as Kasian slurs out some kind of explanation about something history and fae related. Theo has an arm around Kasian’s shoulders, trying to shush him and telling him to stop and take a load off for once in his bloody life.

  They’re acting close, companionable, not at all like the rivals who could barely stand each other for my sake.

  And I just think…

  Fuck it. Why do I have to choose?

  I’m just not going to. And that’s that.

  At some point, one of King Anzac’s representatives came by to let us know that we were being offered a room for the night where we could crash when we got too tired, and that sounds like the perfect thing to do right now.

  Except I’m not going to use that bed for crashing and sleeping.

  “Hey, guys?” I say, and all three of them break off their conversations, looking at me.

  That fills me with a warmth that has nothing to do with the wine. They’re willing to protect me and take charge for me, but they also listen to me. They look to me. I’ve never been a leader before, it’s not really my thing usually, but I like the feeling of confidence and power they give me when they look at me like this. I like it a lot.

  “I don’t want you to fight over me,” I announce.

  A little bit of the camaraderie hanging in the air fizzles out.

  “That’s a tall order, cupcake,” Cross says carefully. “You know we all care about you. None of us want to just bow out—”

  “No, that’s not what I mean.” I can’t tell if I’m entirely drunk or entirely sober as I look from one man to the next, taking each of them in, appreciating how different and yet how perfect they all are in their own way. “I don’t want any of you to bow out. I just don’t want you to fight over me. I want to be with all of you. No fighting. Just… sharing.”

  I could swear the entire room goes silent, but I know that’s not true. The fae are still partying hard around us, going just as strong now as they were several hours ago when we arrived. But I can’t hear any of it. My gaze is riveted to the three men in front of me.

  The guys all look at each other, as if silently conferring, then they look at me.

  After a long pause—a pause where I start to doubt, start to wonder if they’re going to hate me or reject me or get into a three-way brawl right here in the fae palace—Cross stands up and holds out his hand.

  I take it.

  He helps me to my feet, then looks down at the other two, who nod solemnly as they stand, and I realize they’re not turning me down. They’re not upset.

  They’re agreeing.

  Somehow, we make it to our chambers. Cross was the one who got directions from the fae representative, so I just follow him and trust him not to steer us wrong. I can’t even appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the new parts of the fae palace we pass through, because I’m too distracted by the three men surrounding me.

  I’m acutely aware of each of them, and even though we’re not even touching as we walk, I swear I can feel them somehow. Their heat seeps into my body, and their unique, individual scents mingle in my nostrils to create something new and enticing. I can feel their gazes on me every time they glance my way, and with every look, the tension building inside me ratchets up even higher.

  They said yes. They agreed. They didn’t turn me down.

  This is really happening.

  Finally, we turn down one last corridor, and Cross stops outside a large, ornately carved wooden door. It opens when he turns the knob and pushes, and we all step inside.

  Our room is massive, with just the one huge bed, and the ceiling is a sky full of stars. Enchanted, I’m sure, since there isn’t really a sky out here, but it helps to ease that background feeling of claustrophobia. It makes me feel like I’m in a dream.

  The best kind of dream ever.

  The door closes with a thud behind us, and for a second, the three men and I all look at each other.

  So… how do we do this?

  I have to suppress the urge to giggle at the thought. I mean, this is what I wanted—I asked for this—but the logistics of it, I’m a little fuzzy on. Do they rock-paper-scissors for who gets to do what? Do they set up some kind of rotation?

  There must be a bit of a “deer in headlights” look on my face, because Cross lets out a chuckle. Breaking the ice, he reaches for me, tugging me toward him and claiming my lips with his. The other two men don’t object or complain. They just follow his lead, converging on me and arranging themselves around me until I’m surrounded on all sides by hard, warm bodies.

  Theo comes around behind me, wrapping his arms around me and devouring the side of my neck with hungry, open-mouthed kisses. Kasian ends up on my other side, his lips trailing a burning path over the curve of my shoulder as Cross continues to kiss me deeply.

  My breath picks up, my heart leaping into a gallop like a startled horse. What each of the men are doing to me individually would be enough to make me squirm
all on their own, but the combined sensations are almost more than my body knows how to handle.

  And this is only the fucking beginning.

  That thought pulls a desperate whimper from my lips, and Theo laughs low in his throat, as if he can guess exactly what I’m thinking.

  A second later, Cross’s lips leave mine, and I’m spun partway around the circle until I’m facing Kasian. He smiles softly and leans in to kiss me at the same moment Cross’s wandering hands move over the tight corset top of my dress, drifting over the swell of my cleavage exposed by the neckline. When he dips his hand inside the corset, kneading one breast and rolling my nipple between his fingertips, I yelp into Kasian’s mouth.

  “We’ve got you, Gabbi,” he murmurs, kissing me in that deep, thorough way he has.

  I hold on to him with one hand for support, and despite his calm words, I can feel his body vibrating beneath my touch. The guys are as affected by this as I am. None of us have ever done what we’re about to do, and I can feel excitement and anticipatory energy hovering on the air.

  Kissing the solid, handsome warlock for all I’m worth, I arch my back a little to give Cross easier access to my breasts. Theo is still behind me, and his lips suddenly leave my neck as he wraps his arms around me, stepping closer until his body is flush with mine, my back to his front. His hands travel down my stomach, and my breath catches in my throat as he begins to gather the fabric of my skirt, bunching it at my waist.

  A few seconds later, the hemline is high enough to allow him access to what he wants, and his hand moves down to cup my pussy through my soft cotton panties. I groan against Kasian’s lips, trying to simultaneously kiss him harder, press more of my breast into Cross’s palm, and ride Theo’s hand.

  It’s so much, and it all feels too fucking good.

  I’m not entirely sure I’ll survive the rest of this evening, but if I don’t, well… that’s not a bad way to go.