by Tasha Black
But I didn’t want sympathy. That was why my friends didn’t know. They didn’t know that I stayed at the school during term breaks and holidays. They didn’t know that all my birthday gifts were nothing but charity from Headmistress Hart, who never signed her name to them, so I could pretend they were from my family.
“It’s fine,” I said, swatting the errant tears from my eyes angrily. “Anyway, I was raised by a bunch of foster families. They kept passing me off because they didn’t like the odd stuff that happened around me.”
“And then you found the school?” he asked.
“The school found me,” I said, shaking my head. “Headmistress Hart showed up when I was in a group home, after my last foster family ditched me. She said she ran a special school, and that she had a place for me, permanently, if I wanted.”
“Were you afraid?” he asked me.
“I wasn’t sure what to think at first,” I admitted. “But I guess I figured I was better off at a school, even if it was for a bunch of delinquents, than going to another family I was only going to disappoint.”
“Delinquents,” he echoed, chuckling.
“Well, what was I supposed to think?” I asked. “There was no reason to think I was special, other than the fact that I seemed to make a lot of trouble no matter where I went.”
“You are very special, Anya,” he said softly. “Never doubt that.”
My heart throbbed and I tried to skirt past his words and save them for later, when I could treasure them without him staring at me.
“Well, the school is obviously really special,” I told him. “Learning to accept my magic got me to the next step.”
“The next step?”
“Learning to control it,” I said. “Controlling my magic changed my life. Now I have friends, and a place in the world. And I owe it all to Headmistress Hart. She even lets me stay here during school breaks.”
He nodded with a solemn expression.
“But have you ever longed for your own home?”
I swallowed over the lump in my throat. Of course I had longed for my own home. Was that even a fair question for an orphan? But Primrose was the closest thing I had.
Almost…
The little voice in the back of my head whispered softly but it caused my heart to pound so loudly in my ears I could barely think.
“Anya, I could be your home,” the king said softly. “I could show you things about yourself you’ve only ever dreamed of.”
13
The Raven King
I could feel Anya’s resolve softening. She was opening herself to me, to the idea that she was more than a mortal orphan - more than the sum total of the unworthy experiences that had brought her to me.
If I had my way, I would make her a queen.
“Watch this,” I whispered to her, lifting my palm to hers.
She held up her hand and magic sparked and danced between us. This was the electricity I was sure she had felt each time I touched her - our very souls straining for each other.
“Sympathetic magic,” she whispered.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s when two parts of the same whole are attracted to each other,” she said, then blushed.
So she understood. The urge to lay my claim on her rose in my chest.
“Yes,” I told her. “We are one.”
“Both fae,” she said with wonder in her voice.
Ah, so she did not fully understand. But she had come far tonight. There was no need to reveal it all at once.
She gazed up at me with those luminous eyes again and my resolve wavered.
What was the harm in a single kiss?
I bridged the distance between us slowly, giving her plenty of time to retreat.
But she closed her eyes and tilted up her chin once more in invitation. Something clenched tightly in my heart, a joy so sweet it was almost like sorrow.
I pressed my lips to hers, drinking her in.
Anya sighed gently against me, as if she had been holding her breath, waiting for my kiss.
My hands went to her hair of their own accord, first stroking and then tangling in her tresses to pull her closer, as if I could absorb her into myself.
She let her lips part for me and I tasted her magic, her loneliness, and her innate goodness.
Kindness was not a trait associated with the fae.
Anya could not have earned it without her trials on this side of the veil. As much as I hurt for her, I could also appreciate her valor. She was a delicate sword forged through blistering heat, and made pure, perfect and strong.
But when she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her small body close to mine, I forgot to admire her any longer. I could only desire her with every thunderous beat of my poor heart.
She twined around me like wisteria, and I inhaled her summery scent as she pulled me down on top of her, as if her body knew what her mind did not.
“Anya,” I whispered, shocking myself by pulling away.
I was the Raven King, I took what I wanted with impunity. I did not pity the weak or unknowing.
But I needed her to want me and everything I offered. I needed her to crave that fate more than her next breath.
She pulled me close again and I tried to calm myself, pressing my lips to the curve of her neck, her collarbone.
But when she arched her back to offer me her small breasts, I growled and ripped away the white gown to reach them, licking them into my mouth, one and then the other, tugging at her nipples with my teeth until her hips trembled beneath me and she moaned like the winter wind.
“Oh, my love,” I murmured against her belly trailing kisses downward. “I will soothe you.”
14
Anya
His magic shot through me, and I felt shivers of electricity licking through my veins.
The Raven King kissed his way down my torn gown, his lips leaving a trail of wanting, his breath ragged, as if this slow pace caused him pain.
I had never even been naked in front of a man before, but I could not bring myself to feel shame or embarrassment. There was only a sea of need and the rasp of his jaw against my inner thighs as he pressed his way toward the core of my longing.
The first touch of his tongue sent my hips flying up to meet his mouth.
He chuckled against me, and the vibrations shot through me, sending me closer to infinity.
“Easy, my love,” he murmured. “Enjoy it.”
But his words tangled themselves in my mind. My body knew only his wicked mouth and the teasing, gentle touch that tormented me, pushing me closer and closer to the edge without ever letting me go.
I moaned and he clutched my thighs, the tight grip of his fingers belying his own restrained need.
Worlds seemed to rise and fall as the cool air of the room prickled on my bare body and the sensations carried me higher and higher.
When he eased a finger just inside me, I lost track of my own sounds.
The king growled and surrendered, finally relinquishing his lazy pace and letting me fly.
The pleasure ripped me apart, and I splintered happily for him, the ecstasy going on and on until at last I floated back down, whole again.
“Good girl,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my thigh.
I waited for him to crawl on top of me, and finish what we had begun.
But instead he lay beside me, and pulled me to his chest.
“Sleep now, a rún,” he whispered.
His words must have been in the old language of the fae. I desperately wanted to know what they meant.
But his magic slid over me, and I found myself drifting into sleep with my cheek resting against the warm, hard planes of his chest.
Dreams of verdant green forests, lush meadows and indescribable blossoms swept me away once more. But this time I was in the company of the Raven King, and I felt no fear or sadness.
15
Anya
I awoke a few hours later to a moment of perfect stillne
ss and peace.
It had been so long since I had escaped the grip of strange and unhappy dreams, that I was almost breathless.
Then I felt the warm arms of the Raven King around me and remembered everything.
I opened my eyes, taking the moonlit room in. Maybe it was only my happiness, but I swore there was a haze over everything, making it more beautiful than before.
“Are you hungry?” the king whispered into my hair.
I nodded, surprised to find that my stomach was practically grumbling.
“Me too,” he confided. “Do you think your friend has more of those cakes?”
“Maybe,” I whispered back. “Let’s go find out.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and hopped out of bed.
I moved to follow him and then remembered my torn night gown.
“Please tell me they gave you more than one of those,” he said, quirking an eyebrow at me.
“Yeah,” I said, pulling the remains of it around myself shyly, and then remembering he had seen everything under it anyway.
He was eyeing me curiously, as if my modesty surprised him.
Well, screw that. I wasn’t going to cower from him now.
I stood up, as tall and proud as my five-foot frame would go, and let the gown fall open at the tear. My body might be small, but he had worshipped it. I hadn’t forgotten.
“Gods of the realms,” he murmured.
“I’m going to need some clothes,” I told him.
“Agreed,” he said. “But for now…”
He glanced around the room and saw the vase of flowers on the counter that he had turned into a thicket of blossoms earlier.
Striding over, he pulled one from its place and headed back to me.
“Hold it together at the top,” he instructed, pointing to my gown.
I did as I was told, and he placed the flower at the spot where my hands held the fabric in place.
He slid his finger down the tear slowly, so that I could feel the magic zing between us from my collarbone down to my belly, my thighs, my knees.
The flower followed, as besotted with him as I was, eager to do the king’s bidding.
By the time he straightened, my gown was held together by a flowering vine.
“Lovely,” he said, holding my hands out to the sides, so that he could admire his handiwork.
He certainly wasn’t one for false modesty. But he was right, it was really pretty. I wondered how long the magic would last.
If the work he had done in the tower was any indication, it would go on for hours.
“Food,” he said firmly.
“Yes, let’s go,” I agreed. “But we’re not supposed to be up after curfew, so we have to stay quiet.”
“All the women here are adults, are they not?” the king asked dubiously.
“Yes,” I told him. “But magical training is strenuous. We’re on a schedule because they feel we need the discipline and the rest.”
“No one commands the fae,” he said, his brow furrowed.
The fae…
He was including me in that number. And in the aftermath of my first sensual experience, I had nearly forgotten.
That part of the night still didn’t seem real to me. Honestly, none of it did.
I shook off the idea and focused my thoughts on the snacks in that box down in the Bellwether House lounge instead.
“Let’s go, Your Majesty,” I told him.
I felt like I should have something better to call him, but I knew he’d never give up his true name. There was too much power in it. And anything else I called him would just be a lie. He was the Raven King. And it suited him just fine.
He nodded, willing to let go of the fae talk in favor of treats.
We set off down the winding stairs toward the main corridor on the second floor.
When we arrived at last, I could see light bleeding out under the Bellwether House door.
“Looks like we aren’t the only ones up,” I whispered to him.
I pushed the door open to find Kendall and Cori sitting on the chairs in the lounge, munching on more pretzels.
“Hey guys,” Kendall said. “You couldn’t sleep either?”
“Mm,” I said, nodding noncommittally. I didn’t exactly want to have to break down the ratios of sleep and other stuff for her.
“Sit,” Cori said. “Eat, there’s plenty. My parents must think they don’t provide meals here.”
“No,” Kendall said. “They just want to make sure you don’t get to like it up here too much. You read me one of their letters one time. Your mom said as long as you don’t forget about Wawa you won’t forget about Delco. Then you had to explain to me what Wawa and Delco meant. The basic idea is that she wants you to come home when you’re finished with school, and she hopes the food will help remind you of where you come from.”
It was odd to hear Kendall explaining Cori’s life to her, but it wasn’t like Cori could remember any of it for herself.
“My mom seems so nice,” Cori said cheerfully.
“Oh, she is,” Kendall assured her. “You’re going to love her.”
“You forgot everything,” the king said to Cori, his voice a little soft with wonder.
“Yes,” she said. “But it’s okay. I’ve got friends. I’m building new memories. And what I can’t remember, they can tell me.”
Kendall reached over and whacked her on the back, and she grinned.
“That’s right,” Kendall said.
Apparently satisfied with that answer, the king turned his attentions to the box of snacks. He fished out a pack of treats, a small smile curving up the corners of his mouth.
I grabbed a soft pretzel and sat on the sofa with my feet curled under me.
“Pretty,” Kendall said, pointing to my flowery nightgown.
“Just a little something I whipped up,” the king said proudly, sitting down beside me with his snack.
“Hey, are you guys hanging out without me?” Bella’s voice called to us from the bedroom hall doorway.
She wandered in, with Luke in tow.
“Hey guys,” I said, feeling really glad to see them. “Here, take my seat, Bella.”
“No, I’m good I just want to stretch,” she said, spreading herself out on the floor.
Luke sat beside her, smiling indulgently at her as she slid into a yoga stretch.
“Snacks?” Cori offered.
“Yes, please,” Luke said.
“Did someone say snacks?” Reed asked from the doorway.
“You’re up now too?” Cori asked.
“No offense, babe, but you guys aren’t exactly whispering out here,” Reed grinned, grabbing three soft pretzels from the box.
“Crap,” Kendall said. “Jared won’t want to miss out. Be right back.”
“Don’t wake him up,” Cori called after her, but she was already gone.
Cori shrugged and grabbed herself a pretzel.
“What are you going to eat, Bella?” Luke asked, pointing at the box.
“I’ll have a bite of whatever you’re having,” she said, still stretching.
He scowled but didn’t complain out loud. I found his concerns over constantly feeding his pregnant mate adorable, but I hoped it didn’t add any real tension to their relationship.
Something tapped on the window behind the chairs, and I saw that Calvin and Hobbes wanted in.
I scrambled up and lifted the sash. “Hello, boys,” I said. “How was your evening?”
The two snowy ravens sailed inside, taking a lap around the room before landing on my shoulders.
“Did you miss me, or did you just sense that I had a pretzel?” I teased them. Obviously, it was both. Or neither. The birds kept their own counsel.
When I sat back on the sofa, Calvin immediately ran down my arm to check out my snack.
Hobbes stayed up on my shoulder and tugged at my hair just above the nape of my neck.
“Does that hurt?” Kendall asked.
“Nah
,” I said. “He’s just scratching my neck, same place he likes to be scratched.”
Calvin ripped a piece of pretzel off and scurried back up my arm to my shoulder like he was fleeing the crime scene.
“You’re allowed, buddy,” I reassured him. “How about you, Hobbes? Want some pretzel?”
Hobbes made a gentle whirring sound and ran as far as my elbow, head slightly tilted as if he were deciding.
“Go on,” I told him. “You can do it. Be brave.”
I switched hands, so that the pretzel was just inches from his beak.
He considered it for a moment, then dashed down to my wrist, grabbed a bite of pretzel, and waddled back up my arm as fast as he could, partially hiding himself and his prize under my hair.
The king laughed, delighted, just as Kendall came back in with Jared in tow.
“And I thought it was hard to sleep late when I was in captivity,” Jared joked, looking sleepy.
“Come on. You’re free now,” Reed boomed. “Don’t waste it on sleep.”
“True,” Jared said, giving Kendall an appraising look.
My brash friend was suddenly looking embarrassed.
“He means eat something,” I yelled out.
Kendall grinned at me sheepishly with gratitude in her eyes.
“And help us plan what we’re going to do next,” I added.
Everyone turned to me and for a moment I felt embarrassed.
I don’t belong here. I’m not the leader.
But we had been through a lot together. And with the king by my side, I felt less like an outsider.
Bella and Cori leaned forward to listen to whatever I was going to say next, and I realized that choosing whether to speak or stay silent was up to me.
“The Raven King needs his sword to get back across the veil,” I said, deciding. “We have to get the broken piece back from the Order.”
“That won’t be enough on its own,” Jared said warily.
“I know that,” I told him. “No one is asking anyone to sacrifice their blood for this.”
“We’re not?” the king asked in a disinterested way.
“Why is he even here?” Luke demanded of no one in particular.
