by A C Wilds
When I finally separate from his chest, the same pop sound occurs, and we both fall to our knees. Eugene is panting through his pain, clutching the spot where the stone was removed. Power is strumming everywhere. My magic is dancing with the stone, and there is so much wind whipping through the room, I can’t even stand up. Everyone is shouting and I try to pull on the table to get up, but it’s impossible.
A rushing sound followed by a banging at the door interrupts it. My eyes snap up and I watch in fascination as the doors burst open and the other half of the stone comes whizzing in, with Noli right after it. I hold up my hand, in fear that if I don’t, the other half will hurt someone. The two pieces of the stone collide with one another and a burst of power ricochets around the room, causing everyone to be blown back. I kneel alone in the center.
By the time it’s done, the room is in shambles, and the stones seem to release a sigh of relief, for finally being complete. Pulling out my sword with the other hand, I place the stone on top of the hilt. It looks like it was made for it. There is a divot that I didn’t notice before, that cradles the stone perfectly. The stone slides into place and another energy pulse is released into the hilt. The sword whizzes out of my hand and flies into the air by itself. It begins to glow with it’s purple magic.
Everyone has to shield their eyes, but I look directly at it. The power starts to seep into the blade. The purple glow getting brighter as it reached the tip. The intricate patterns that I saw in the lake etches itself into the cool metal. I reach and trace the design, the magic pours into my body. The power held within the blade courses through my body. My chest puffs out, head rolling up to the ceiling and my arms outstretched. My wings come out and I close my eyes at the sensations that are filling me. It’s so much, almost too much, but now I understand why the stones needed to be reunited. It’s the only power strong enough to kill them both. I collapse in on myself when the magic has finally run its course. The light goes out on the blade and I fall to the floor, the sword next to me.
“Fuck! What in the fuck was that?” Grey says as he gets up. He comes over to me and helps me off the floor. I have to grab onto him to steady myself. The rest of the room makes it to their feet and we all just stand there in shock for a moment.
The dragons are off to the side awe written all over their faces. I don’t blame them, that was a fucking show. I’m still in a bit of disbelief that all this could happen, that this is really my life.
“Our part is complete. The dragons will have felt that power. They will come. We will all fight with you, Changer. We will help you take down the rulers and free Faerie,” Rosalyn states.
Voices ring out throughout the room in celebration. To have an extra thousand armed Fae to help us win is huge. It’s exactly what we needed to tip the scales in our favor, and now that the Changer sword is complete, it means we have a real chance.
I pick up the blade from the floor and look at it. How am I going to wield this when I know the only way to kill them is for Noli to die? It’s her sacrifice and her magic, that is going to give me enough of a push and control to end it.
She comes up to me then, and I can’t do anything other than pull her into a hug. Tears start to form in my eyes as I think about what it would be like to not have Noli in my life.
"It’ll be ok. Trust that this has been the plan all along. There is nothing that can be done now. I wish there was another way, but, Az, they need to be stopped. There is no way we can let them destroy everything. Faerie and Earth deserve more," Noli lamented.
I could feel her sorry and noticed the shudder that overcomes her. She doesn’t want to die, but she is determined to save us. I love her even more in this moment.
"We’re going to find another way. I’m going to fix this," I declare. Nothing is going to stop me from finding an answer, nothing.
"I’ve come to accept it. My sacrifice will mean so much to so many. I love you, Az, and I believe in you, but you need to stop trying to fix this. It’s not fixable."
I don’t respond. There is nothing left to say. She knows what I’m willing to do to protect her, to protect everyone I love.
Chapter 16
Magic Lessons
Azra
"Harder,” I say in frustration “I said hit hard, Grey. You’re being a baby. I can take it."
I wipe the sweat from my face and look at him in annoyed. We’ve been training all morning, and he refuses to hit me properly, which makes this even more impossible. I need to regain my strength, and to make sure I can take on different opponents.
"You almost died, and now you want me to try to kill you again. I can’t do that," he grunts, after I land a particularly strong blow. He knows I won’t die, but his penis is getting in the way of his logic.
"Fine, then who isn’t going to be a pussy?” I challenge. “I need to fucking train, damn it. "
I sound like a bratty child, but the power from the sword has fucked me up. It’s urging me to hurry up. Something is coming and they don’t understand the urgency. I need to fight.
"I’ll take you on. See what my training taught you," Gunn taunts.
I give him a sinister smile and get into fighting stance. "Come on then, let’s see what you got."
We begin our dance, and it’s graceful. Blocking and hitting each other in the right places. The swords power wants to fight. I give it all I have, and in the end, Gunn is under my sword on the floor.
"You’ve gotten better."
I smile down at him and offer him a hand up. He takes it with ease and pops up next to me.
"I think it’s the sword. I feel like it’s sentient. As if there’s a soul inside of it. If that makes sense? It’s like I can feel all the Changers that fought with it, and use their skills. Make it mine. Does that sound weird?"
"It’s a magic sword in a magic land, of course it’s weird." Grey answers, making us all laugh because it’s true.
“Concentrate, Azra. Pull the magic from your inner core. Look for the mate bonds and ease the magic out,” Red says again, for the hundredth time. We’ve been at this for hours. There are charred targets all over the place. I haven’t been able to control the lightning or the fire. The earth magic is easier for me. I can make the ground quake and pull vines or grow things. Making whirlpools and tidal waves has been easy enough. Red thinks it’s because I’m more connected to Grey, since I created him. Gunn’s magic is also much subtler than the destructive magic from Shax and Cass.
“I’ve been doing that. It’s just when I get to that point, I feel the magic push through, like it wants to destroy. It’s hard to control. The stone has made it all the more powerful,” I respond. I’m frustrated that I can’t get this right. Time is running out, and I need to be able to do this perfectly.
“The stone is an amplifier; it’s going to make it difficult to control your powers, but you need to find that balance. Look within yourself and make the magic bend to you. Don’t let it control you.”
I take a deep breath and try to concentrate on making the magic bend to my will. It’s so strong. The stone has literally added so much more power to my pool. There are vines in here that didn’t exist before. I pluck one, and the vibration comes up into my chest. I bring lightning out at the same time and try to funnel it through the vine. It takes off like a shot, but I clamp down on it quickly. I then slowly release it out into my fingers, and aim for the target. The energy shoots out of my hand and lands directly in the middle. It looks like a bullet has poked through it.
“I did it!” I scream, jumping up and down. Red gives me side eye and I can practically see him saying that it was only one time.
“Do it again,” he says.
I repeat my steps and let the magic out. It works again, and again. We spent most of the time perfecting my lightning, but when we’re sure I can do it properly, I finally get to try fire. It burns up so bright inside of me that it’s almost too much to hold on to.
“This isn’t working. Every time I pluck one of those strings, it
feels like I’m going to fry on the inside. It wasn’t like this before,” I confess. He’s looking at me in confusion.
“What do you mean strings? Your pool isn’t there anymore?”
“It’s there, but now there are all these strings coming out of it. Some are larger than others, and they are wrapped around my mate bonds. There’s too much power inside me, Red. I don’t think I can do this by myself,” I confess, watching him for any sign of knowledge. Someone has to know how to control this mess.
“You can’t. And you won’t,” a voice says from behind me. I spin around and find Noli leaning against the training room’s door. She’s dressed in loose pants and a tank top. She looks like she’s lived here her whole life. Her skin is glowing, and her aura is so strong.
“What do you mean?” Red asks.
“She was never meant to hold all that power inside of her. She needs a familiar, and I happen to be hers. I’m your conduit. I’ll help filter the power out of you, so you’re able to control it,” she says, giving me a somber look. This is how she will die.
“And you? What happens to you when you filter the power?” I ask, getting more pissed by the moment.
“I die,” she says, determination in her voice. She might have accepted her fate, but I haven’t.
“It’s not happening,” I say, staring her down.
“It is, Azra. We’ve had this discussion already. There’s no other way to get the power out of you. If you try to use it all, at its full strength, you’re going to fail. I’m not as important as killing Lucifer and Michael,” she says, trying to convince me of something that I will never accept.
“We’ll find another way,” I say.
“Stop being a stubborn ass. This is the only option we have available. You’re being selfish right now, thinking only of your feelings and not the lives of the rest of Faerie,” she says, putting more emotion into her voice than I’ve ever heard from her. It sounds like conviction and determination. She wants this.
“Since when do you care who lives or dies in this place? We both only just got here, Noli,” I reply.
“Have you been out into the town? Have you seen the children? How they play and run around, not knowing that their lives could end if the Unseelie Queen finds them. Think about everything Izzy has done for these people. Think about all the other Fae out there that don’t have her protection. You mean to tell me that you would rather sit here and refuse to help, than to lose the life of someone who is giving it to you willingly? Don’t be a dick, Azra. It doesn’t look good on you,” she says, turning and leaving the training room. All my anger goes right out with her.
I drag my tired ass back to our rooms. I’m so bone tired, mentally and physically that I don’t even notice the naked man on my bed until I’m a few feet into the room.
“What are you doing?” I ask Shax. He isn’t technically totally naked, as he has the sheet covering his man parts.
“Waiting for you. I wanted to surprise you. I sent the others away so we could have some alone time,” he says, patting the bed next to him.
“Ok, umm…what did you do with my mate. Did you just say alone time?” I question, looking at him in disbelief. I mean, I’m going to have sex with him, but where are these words coming from?
“I thought you could use a break from training. You’ve been pushing yourself so hard, and it warrants a break.”
“How generous of you. Taking the time out of your day to give me an orgasm,” I say, laughing at my own joke. He looks at me then with the broadest smile, and even though this is the weirdest thing he’s done, it’s also the most perfect.
He gets up from the bed and stalks over to me. This time there is nothing blocking my view of all he has to offer. The hard lines of his chiseled muscle sculpt up and down his body. His thighs flex under his movements, and my gaze goes straight to the thing I want the most. He sees me looking, and a smirk plays at his lips. He’s so sexy and confident. I lick my lips a bit and turn, walking toward the bathroom. I need to wash off the day first.
Stripping my clothes off item by item, I give him a little bit of a show. I can feel his arousal through the bond, and feel the heat of his skin when he presses against me to turn on the water in the shower. His body molds to the back of mine. I pull my head back, and let him tease me with kisses from neck to shoulder.
“I should shower first, I must smell awful,” I say, still rooted to the same spot. I close my eyes and let the sensations overtake me. His hands brush up my arms, and his hard cock rests in the junction of my ass and lower back. I want nothing more than to lean forward and let him slip inside me.
“Step into the shower, and I’ll wash you,” he says, pulling my hair to the side and gripping it in one hand. He gives me a slight tug as he bites my neck. I suck in air through my teeth at the pain, but then a thrill of anticipation runs over my body. Goosebumps appear on my arms, and I lean back into him a bit. I wiggle my ass before I step into the shower. It’s his turn to hiss.
Walking directly under the spray, I let the warm water wash away the sweat and grit from my training session. I close my eyes and let the water do its work. The water at my feet turns brownish, and it reminds me of all the soot I must have on my body, because of the fire I can’t control.
I lean my head on the tile, and try to get the thoughts of Noli dying out of my head. My best friend, the only other person who knew me before I was ever Azrael the Changer, is going to have to die for the sake of Faerie. To protect all these people, I must sacrifice her.
Shax comes in behind me, and pulls me back against him. I keep my eyes closed as he massages shampoo into my hair, taking care to get out all the ash. My emotions are riding high, and his simple touch is untying the knot of pain and confusion in my chest. With every circular motion, I come more undone.
The tears start to slip from my eyes down my cheeks, but I make no sound. I let him take care of me, while my heart breaks for my friend. While it breaks for this fucked up situation we are all in, because people value power above kindness and prosperity.
Shax places me back under the spray, and washes the soap from my hair. He scrubs it so well, a tingle goes down my spine, taking me out of my dark place for a moment. I open my eyes and look into his. I divert the water from dripping into them, but I’m still standing, letting it cascade all over me.
“How am I supposed to let her die?” I ask, searching his face for the answer. He’s been alive much longer than I have. He has to have answers.
“You aren’t letting her die. She is choosing to sacrifice herself for all of us. That isn’t something you should cast aside, Azra. By doing this, she is saving millions of Fae from a fate that could be the worst thing for them. You should honor her gift and stop trampling all over it because of your feelings,” he says, shocking the hell out of me. The calmness I felt is gone, and my ego bristles at the thought that I shouldn’t be feeling this way.
“She can’t die, Shax,” I say, still not giving in. “There’s no way I could just let her go. She’s Noli. She’s my last tie to the person I was before I was this creation of the universe, designed to destroy things.”
“I see it. I feel it. Don’t doubt who you are, Azra. This isn’t a gift bestowed on many people. The Fates sent you to us at exactly the right time. We have to see this thing through. If we don’t, there will be so many who will suffer. Including Logan.”
“You had to use the kid?”
“It’s only fair that you take everyone's feelings into consideration and not just your own.”
He moves in to kiss me, and our bodies meld together. I want him more at this moment than I ever have. I run my hands over his chest and shoulders. I pull him into an embrace, and tuck my hands between us. He grabs my upper back with his huge hands, and I crumple into him. He makes me feel safe and secure. My thoughts flitter through the bond, and he moans into my mouth. My alpha, my protector.
Breaking the kiss, I start to kiss down his mouth, making my way down to the sculpted che
st that is so warm underneath my lips. I flick my tongue out when I get to his nipple, and he grabs my hair again, giving me a warning tug. I continue on with only one destination in mind. I slowly get to my knees in front of him, and let the water cascade over my back, not hitting my face. The steam from the shower is making it impossible to see. I close my eyes, and search with my hands and mouth until I find my prize.
I kiss his hard cock along the shaft slowly up to the head. My tongue darts out and twirls over the head. His legs tense, and he tries to make more contact by leaning closer to me.
Taking him into my mouth, I begin to bob my head up and down, slowly at first, and then increasing the speed. I grasp his thighs for leverage as I speed up. My core is heating up, and I’m getting ready for him. I place my right hand onto his balls, and slowly massage them as I pump up and down with my mouth. I suck in my cheeks and create a vacuum like seal causing him to erupt into a moan.
“Fuck, Azra. That feels amazing,” he whispers. His hands thread into my hair, and he begins to massage my head as I keep working him up and down in a frenzy. I suddenly stop and sit back on my heels. I look up into his eyes, and lick the tip of his swollen cock, never taking my eyes off of him. His eyes light up with his fire, and he pushes my face forward a bit, but I resist, knocking his hands away. I slowly lick and kiss the tip until he’s shaking with need. He’s a mess with tension, and I want nothing more than to relieve that. In a quick motion, I open my mouth wide, and slam it down onto his cock so that he reaches all the way into the back of my throat. He lets out a roar as I suck on him, hollowing out my cheeks. He comes in my mouth, the salty taste of him exploding into the back of my throat.
Holding onto him until he finishes, my arousal heightens until I can’t take it anymore. I stand up and look him in the eyes. Our flames touch and the purple blaze comes over us. The water doesn’t affect it. In fact, more steam is created, washing over our skin. I want his face between my legs, but before I can ask, Cass steps into the shower. We must have been too preoccupied to notice his presence through the bond.
