by Lina Jubilee
He pulled out slightly and then pushed back in, spanking me again. “And that’s for making me have to remind me that you fucking need me inside you.”
He pounded again and again and he kept adding some ass slaps in there. I shrieked in ecstasy, the power long since transferred, his own boosted, but both of us unable to stop.
Finally, he came inside me and I tried to dig my fingers into the hard desk, and I almost felt like I’d gotten the strength to do so, the tingling was so intense everywhere throughout my body.
He pulled out, and his own breaths were shallow now—I could hear when my moans were finally quieting. “We need to go,” he said, rubbing his forearm over his mouth as his deep brown irises stared down at me. He turned on his heel, as if that were the only way he could tear himself away.
I nodded numbly, sitting myself up on my forearms, my legs jelly as I tried to sit back down, my groin so sore but still tingling with so much pleasure, I thought I might die.
What a way to go.
Alarik appeared beside me in his clothes again, my battle suit over his arm. “Come on,” he said, taking my hand and letting me collapse against him. His lips grazed my forehead, his long, green hair falling over my face. “I’ll help you get dressed,” he said, so much softer and gentler now.
And he did, even helping wipe some of the mess from my groin with the tissues beforehand. And with wobbly legs and a face flushed with heat, I walked side by side with him, his arm through mine like I was some kind of god damn debutante at a ball, as we went to join the last of Veras waiting for us.
I’d boosted four men, but there were still my lips for additional boosts. And I sure as hell wasn’t staying behind for this, not even if they’d asked me.
Chapter Seventeen
Wade impatiently tapped the steering wheel of the new used car Jayden had authorized him to buy in my absence—another van, may the jeep rest in peace—as pedestrians who’d been enjoying a sunny morning at the marina and who now abandoned their cars to the endless traffic poured through the streets on both sides of the road.
“We have to get out,” said Rou. She was particularly antsy since Darien had gone in that first wave with Chastity, Jayden, and Nash.
People screamed as another giant green vine shot up above the few-story buildings dotting the beachfront about a half mile ahead.
“Okay,” said Wade, shutting off the engine and pocketing the keys. As we all jumped out—Alarik included—Wade turned around and patted the hood of the vehicle. “Hope you make it through,” he said. I knew why. One look ahead and it was clear that the road block had been caused by overturned cars, the vines growing too big to be contained between them.
“That goes for all of us,” said Roulette, grim. Her head turned as if in answer to a scream and she ran toward the sound. I knew she was off to see who she could heal. I turned to Wade and Alarik, taking Alarik’s hand in mine and giving it a squeeze.
I felt better—less sore, and more focused to boot because right before we’d jumped into the car, Roulette had healed whatever soreness and aches I’d experienced, a wry smile on her face, her eyebrows lifted, without saying a word.
“I should go with her to offer a continuous boost.” My eyes flitted to Alarik. “Please…” I left the rest unsaid. Please don’t betray us. Please stay safe. Please don’t hurt any of my other friends and lovers.
Wade nodded and took off at a run down the block. Alarik spoke quietly, running a hand along my cheek. “I want you with me,” he said.
“You’re already super boosted—for a day.” I swallowed. “I can do the most good with Roulette, helping her heal people.”
Alarik’s gaze wandered over my head, his expression tightening as he took in the destruction his people had unleashed around us. It wasn’t like they’d done much differently when he’d been at the helm.
“I told them to be careful of the humans,” he said as a group of them dashed past us. “I… I’m sorry, starlight.” He bent to put his lips to mine. “I’m sorry about everything.” He stepped back, dropping his hand from mine. “But I will take control from that traitor and make sure my sister is safe and then… get the Nelians and humans to work together differently.” He turned then, taking off after Wade, shooting out a smaller, thinner but long vine from his palm as a bigger one slithered down the block—successfully knocking it out of the path a group of fleeing civilians.
“Rora!” My name echoed out from down a nearby alley. I bolted for it, dodging hazardous vines and upturned asphalt along the way.
I skidded to a halt when I found Roulette bent over a man who was dripping blood from his head, a woman with a blood-soaked leg on the ground beside him. Rou’s hand was extended, the bright white light pouring from it. I quickly crouched beside her and turned her head, pecking her on the lips. The light shone brighter, the healing worked faster, taking care of both of them.
“What the…?” said the man, clutching his head. He turned to the woman with him. “Did they just kiss?”
“Natches,” said the woman, shaking her head. Like we were always making out in the street. “Thank you,” she added, her voice faltering.
Roulette nodded and we both jumped to our feet, heading closer to the waterfront.
“She’s here!” spoke Zander over the bond—no, to everyone he wanted—anyone he wanted. Roulette frowned as she skidded to a halt, tilting her head like she was trying to drain Zander’s boosted voice from her head like water logged in the ear. “The power-nullifier. Radius one block east and west of 4th Avenue and 21st Street intersection. Steer clear.”
Zander, I thought back. Keep an eye on Alarik. He wants to find his sister—but he’ll lose his powers if he gets too close.
“Sister. Right.” He sent the warm fuzzy feeling I got from one of his grins. “Looking good even in clothes, darlin’. Though, admittedly, they’re skintight, so…”
Not now, I sent him, groaning out loud. But then I added in my head, Love you. Stay safe.
“You too.”
“So what’s the plan?” I asked Roulette aloud. We were still some distance from the nullification area Zander had reported, though I wasn’t sure about the rest of our team and the Renegades.
“We follow the screams,” she replied. As if on cue, shouts rang out in the air as a huge pillar of fire shot upward, turning a burgeoning vine to ash.
“Nash,” I said. His boosted powers were truly something.
We ran in his direction, checking for injured people all the while.
At one point, a vine started growing and Roulette whipped out her palm, getting a lucky destruction red light on the first try.
The jutting edge of the vine turned to smoke, the vine’s progress halted.
“Veras,” cried Jayden over our communicators.
“What’s up?” asked Roulette, hitting hers casually like she hadn’t just saved our butts from becoming pierced by twisting tendrils.
“The Renegades are closing in on this Xerxes, we think,” he said. “He’s behind the nullification barrier, so we’re all trying to congregate just outside of its range and come up with a plan of attack.”
“Where’s Darien?” Roulette asked.
“Here, babe,” Darien grunted over the line. A sound like ice cubes dropping on a hard linoleum floor echoed over the comm. “A little busy,” he added.
Chewing her lip, Roulette looked to me, as if to ask what we should do. I shrugged, then hit the comm. “You guys said they’re being less careful with injuries. Where should Rou and I go so we can heal them?”
“Aurora,” said Jayden into the comm, a softness to his tone. Roulette just shook her head. He cleared his throat. “Just a minute.”
“Here,” said Wade over the line. “I found a condo complex that took some pretty bad damage. Just outside the nullification radius. Maybe, maybe… Damn it!” he shouted and both Roulette and I jumped back. “I think the elf princess is on the move because I can’t turn invisible.”
“Fuck,”
said Roulette, not even into the comm. “How can we go there to heal people if I’ll lose my powers as soon as we get there?”
“Can anyone be moved?” I asked into the comm.
“Not a great idea,” said Wade. “Some bad injuries and… I can’t bring them all with me.”
“Jayden, what are Nash and Chastity up to?” I asked.
But he didn’t answer at first. Then a few blocks down, I saw a rock the size of a Porta Potty rise up from the ground and smash back down. He really was boosted. Some ice and crackling light shot up as well.
“I take it they’re all down there,” said Roulette, taking off at a run.
I stumbled over a vine but did my best to keep up, leaping over an overturned mail box and twirling to avoid being hit by another screaming, fleeing person.
Zander! I screamed in my head. We’ve got a problem—Alanna’s moving and Wade says he’s at a damaged condo complex with a lot of injured residents and if Roulette and I try to get there to help them, we’ll lose our powers and won’t be any help.
“Kind of… busy, darlin’,” he said, though not unkindly, over the bond. A moment passed. “Lila keeps taking Kouta and Torynt to different spots around where we perceived the bubble of her influence,” he said. “And damn it—wait!”
I didn’t know whom he was talking to just then as Roulette and I padded up to most of our teammates exchanging blows with Nelian attack forces.
“Lila, Torynt, and Kouta all got caught up in it,” said Zander over the bond—and from the way Roulette’s head picked up, I realized he’d sent the message to us all. “They’re powerless for however long that lasts…”
Over an hour, I told him. See if they can help Wade with the injured people. I sent him the general area Wade had communicated—then told Roulette what I’d suggested the Renegades do.
She nodded. “Sir?” she asked Jayden as he ran past.
He looked over at us, a wary smile on his face. “We can still win,” he said. “We have four boosted fighters… right?” He looked to me for confirmation.
I nodded, numbly, my knees knocking together. But Alarik…
“Has anyone seen Alarik?” I asked, but everyone else was rather busy flinging their powers to and fro.
“Wade?” I asked over the comm. “Is Alarik with you?”
“What?” he asked back. “Oh. No… Geez. The Renegades just appeared and I almost got ready to karate chop them. Allies, allies. Temporary allies…” He seemed to speak the last few words mostly to himself.
Zander? I asked over the bond. Is Alarik with you?
“No,” he said sourly—out loud. He projected himself in front of me then and looked at the chaos unfolding around us. “I can’t reach my team anymore with my boosted telepathy so long as they’re in the princess’ bubble.”
I held up my wrist. “I can talk to Wade with this.”
“Okay,” he said, and for the first time, he seemed a little on edge as he instinctively jumped when a vine went by—even though it couldn’t hurt his spectral form.
Darien took a tumble a block down, bouncing down the length of a giant vine—I hadn’t noticed how he’d gotten there, if it had simply grown and picked him up along with it—and Roulette shrieked beside me, running forward.
“Rou!” I shouted, following suit.
“Darlin’, watch—” said Zander’s projected form behind me.
But neither Roulette nor I got far as she slammed right into an elf, who appeared from around a vine to grab her by the arm, spinning her in front of him and drawing his blade against her throat.
Stumbling, I screeched to a halt. Zander’s ghostly form was at my side.
Then I blinked, recognizing the elf taking my friend hostage. “Normak!”
He looked from me to the struggling woman in his grip and I shook my head at Roulette, who had her palm out and seemed ready to gamble on whether she’d shoot out destruction or healing.
He cleared his throat and dropped the knife, shoving Roulette forward. She stumbled and spun, lifting her hand like she was ready to smack him one anyway, but I darted to her side, lowering her arm.
“I didn’t know how else to get you to stop,” he said. “And how else to find the two of you who’d recognize me anyway.”
Roulette’s eyes kept darting to the skies behind Normak, and I knew what she must have been looking for, but there was no sign of ice shooting out anywhere.
“You know this guy?” asked spectral-Zander.
“Yeah, he helped us get back,” I explained. “He’s loyal to the true king.” I hoped.
Zander flicked out of existence, but not before letting out a startled cry and his projected form darting backward—a sign his actual body required all of his focus and was most likely in danger.
“Zander!” I screamed, then emphasized his name in my head.
But there was nothing.
Normak wasn’t the least bit concerned. “Xerxes is here, but he’s keeping Princess Alanna with him,” he said. “I don’t know how you hope to take him down.”
Roulette snorted, though her brow wrinkled, her attention still drawn behind Normak. “Figured he wouldn’t care about losing his useless power on the battlefield.”
As someone with a pretty useless power on the battlefield, I begged to differ. “No, this is good,” I said. “If she weren’t nullifying his power, if any of us got too close, he could grab hold of us and put us in that painful, dream-like state. Now he has virtually no defenses.”
“Yeah,” said Roulette, aiming her palm high above as a vine went past. It shot out white light and she closed her palm, cursing. “And neither do we.”
I clicked on the comm button. “Wade. Zander should have been on the outside of the nullification area, but he went quiet.”
“He’s not here,” said Wade’s voice amidst some static. Sounds like rumbles and murmuring carried across the comm link. “We’re treating everyone we can, but—dammit!”
“Wade?” I asked. Screams were my only reply.
Roulette hurtled forward. “Let me through,” she said, pushing aside Normak. It likely wasn’t Wade’s distress call so much as needing to check on Darien.
Normak and I stared each other down, and I clenched my fists at my sides. “Are you one of the portal creators for them this round?” I asked.
He shook his head. “The portal has to stay open on the other side. Every mission, we bring some portal creators along to try to create a portal here to home, but it never works.” A rumble of vines from behind him, followed by another shot of fire, made me jump, but it didn’t seem to bother him. Normak grabbed me by the arm as I moved. “That’s why we have a limited amount of time here. The portal creators can only hold it open so long, and if they try again, they’re unlikely to open it in the right place because the air doesn’t seem to like two portals in proximity at once. Forgive me.” He yanked me toward him and pressed his lips to mine, cold, quick, and utterly surprising.
He let me go, and I wiped my lips, too stunned to confront him. He pointed his hand away from me and a small black hole with fuzzy forest images on the other side appeared. He smiled thinly, and the hole grew bigger. “It works on this side with your power boost.” He struggled to stand as the hole grew larger and larger. “I can even make it big enough on my own without a partner…” His eyes narrowed as he focused, and I had an idea.
“Let’s go,” I said to him.
He shook his head. “Portal-creators can’t travel through their own portals, even with this boost…”
I nodded, seeing how he struggled to keep hold of it. Then, flicking on the comm and saying, “Trust me, I have a plan,” I bolted through, ignoring the cries coming over the comm as I leaped.
I tumbled into lush forest, only rolling to a stop when my ass smacked against a giant tree trunk. “Ouch,” I said, rubbing my sore behind and reorienting myself.
Standing, I took a look around—my muscles tense as I scanned for giant warthogs or whatever it was that might kil
l me. It didn’t take long to spy the entrance to the heart of Nelia some distance away down a forest path almost clear of debris, though it would take me a bit to walk there and I didn’t have a lot of time to spare, not if Xerxes himself was counting down the minutes until his way home expired.
Cursing myself, I thought about what a stupid risk I’d taken—though as long as I found Tianah, I might be able to get home—but it might be too late. I didn’t even know how I’d get past the guards at the gate.
A rumbling snort echoed over the air and my heart leaped out of my throat as two giant warthogs ambled over the horizon, down the path toward the Nelian village. I ducked into the foliage, unable to hear at first over the pounding in my ears.
Then I realized the warthogs were walking rather slowly, swinging their little tails behind them without a care in the world. And behind those tails were wagons, stuffed full with something that looked like piles of cotton or maybe wool. Two elves rode atop their backs like horse riders. If there were no other elven settlements, it was likely they were headed to the village. Taking a deep breath, I waited until they passed, then darted as quietly as I could and crawled beneath the layers of fluff on the back of one of the carts.
If they were the only humanoid creatures on this entire planet, they were unlikely to expect an enemy to sneak in this way. They hadn’t even had a prison for their king during the coup.
I wondered if the guards at the gates were more ceremonial than anything.
Sure enough, the warthog riders and guards seemed to exchange nothing more than greetings as we passed through the giant arch to the village. I watched from a hole I poked in the soft, fluffy material. Then before the cart could take me to the market or wherever it needed to go, I rolled out at the sight of that endless staircase, bolting up, feeling the burn in my thighs as I ran to the room where Tianah had bathed and dressed me.
“Damn it,” I shouted when I skidded to a halt, gripping the frame of the open door. No one was in here.
“Who are you?” said a voice from behind me—an elven woman whose snow-like face paled beneath her green updo when we locked eyes. She took a step back as I ran to her, clutching her by the shoulders. She cried out.
