Darkness Rising_A Reverse Harem Series

by A. K. Koonce

  "What is your name?" My father nods to the Fae who's glaring daggers at me.

  "Jeriko."

  "Jeriko, I admire your power. If you learned to harness it, you'd be a man to be feared."

  If he learned to think before he leapt, he'd be a real threat. If he used his brain sometimes instead of his brawn, he’d be a real man. If he was smarter than the average mound of shit, he might be a decent person.

  This world is full of possibilities.

  "If I asked you to join me, would you?" The King’s question leaves a lingering silence behind it.

  I turn to him. My father stands with one fucking arm and a hole in his abdomen, asking for allies in a game I wasn't aware we were playing.

  "Of course, my King." Jeriko's voice holds more respect than I've ever heard from him. “I am a man of loyalty.”

  My sword slices through the air and before I can bring it down on Jeriko, Nollix is there in front of me. I stagger back just slightly. Anger rips through me.

  Is he protecting him?

  They’re old friends. They’ve been in the Hunt long before Link or I showed up.

  "Jeriko," Nollix strides toward him. "You're fucking serious right now? If you join him, there's no coming back." Nollix is seething, his anger shakes right into Jeriko's face.

  And Jeriko’s expression is one of disregard.

  "You are too weak to see the silver lining. Too," he pauses as his attention shifts to where I stand just behind Nollix, "too distracted to see what our future holds."

  My father's voice cuts off Nollix's response.

  "That's the spirit."

  Link points the fuming tip of his sword toward my father. With the room’s attention on Jeriko, Cameron quietly picks up the book of Severed Souls. He holds it tightly in his hand.

  This is what we came for. We came here for that book.

  We got exactly what we came for. But not how we wanted.

  "I'm happy you chose to join me, Jeriko." My father doesn't move an inch under Link's close watch. "Your first assignment is to capture my daughter."

  At the sound of his instruction, Nollix takes a step closer, his fingers lacing tightly through mine.

  "Ah, just as I had hoped. Snatch up the daring man as well and let’s be on our way, shall we?"

  Confusion circles my mind.

  Jeriko grips Nollix by the throat. Nollix raises his fuming sword but before either can deliver a blow, we're swept away.

  Strange magic falls across the room. It envelops me. Suffocates me. It blacks out the world until there's nothing left.

  I know it all too well.

  It’s my father’s magic.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It Doesn’t Mean Anything

  The silence of the night lays heavily on me. It weighs on me until my eyes fling open with a knowing sense of dread.

  Even in my dreams, my mind does not find rest.

  The flame of a small lantern strikes across deep blue eyes, threatening to drown me in their depths. Nollix’s gaze shifts across my features. He lies at my side, his arm tucked beneath his head while his other hand holds mine loosely.

  Was he trying to … comfort me?

  Four small, metal walls imprison us. Magic drifts through them like a security measure keeping us locked within. It’s a depressing atmosphere that sinks right into me. It’s an unnatural and drowning form of magic.

  We’re alone. My father seems to have managed to cut my bond with Cameron. Unless Cameron’s also being held close by.

  Seconds pass while we simply consider one another.

  I feel defeated. We tried and we failed.

  Slow circles drift across the back of my knuckles as his thumb brushes over the scarring mark of the Wild Hunt. The small amount of contact builds our energy between us, pooling in warm and electric magic that neither of us can see but both of us can feel.

  I trust him. Nollix and Link might be the only ones I can trust in the entire kingdom. I wasted so many years avoiding them, wishing to escape them.

  And now I hope they never leave me.

  Because goddess only knows what I’d become if I were alone.

  I’d become exactly what my father worked so hard to create.

  As if he can sense my dark thoughts, Nollix shifts closer. The energy between us builds, pressing against my chest in a sparking way that makes my breath catch. My lips part with a shaking exhale and the color of Nollix’s eyes intensifies. It brightens before deepening into a shade so dark it’s nearly black.

  The evil lineage that lies within him becomes very apparent in his gaze. It threatens to black out the white of his eyes entirely. He doesn’t appear deadly though.

  He’s beautiful. His gaze holds a curious look; a look that’s entirely Fae.

  It makes my heart beat faster. It makes my stomach flutter with uneasy nerves.

  Without a word, he leans into me. My gaze shifts against his and I don’t move an inch as he presses his lips slowly to mine.

  The storming power between us stings against my skin, tingling across it in pain and pleasure. It’s fighting for an outlet, building into an uncontrollable feeling.

  It seems to fuel him on. His warm body presses as close as possible against mine, and when my fingers meet the soft strands of his messy hair, I pull him down on me. His weight settles between my thighs. His arm leans against the damp floor, holding him above me as his other hand cradles my neck. Gentle hands angle my jaw up as his tongue parts my lips, rolling intently across mine.

  Still the magic between us fights against the closeness of our bodies. It sparks across my flesh.

  When my hips rock against his, the demanding energy explodes. It bursts into me and into him. His groan hums against my lips as his magic mixes with mine and storms through my core.

  He pulls back in an instant. His hooded eyes are wild with power. Heavy breaths clash against each other while the silence drifts around us.

  I’ve never felt anything like this before.

  All my life I’ve know the magic within me is powerful. Dangerous.

  But right now … it feels destructive.

  “You feel it too?” His question is a quiet whisper.

  I nod slowly as my fingers pull from his messy hair, drifting down his jaw, trailing over the beautiful magic that scars his neck.

  The scar along my hand is sensitive. What would it feel like for him if I kissed him there?

  “We should stop.” It’s a painful sounding admission, but it’s one I have to say.

  His tongue sneaks across his lips as he shakes his head at me.

  “I was just thinking we should do the opposite.” A serious look fills his dark gaze but he pulls back from me, giving me space while still letting my fingers trace the angle of his jawline. “I feel like I could rip this place apart right now.” His breaths are unsteady and shake against my cheekbone. “That’s you, isn’t it? That’s your power. Yours is strong while mine is reckless.”

  “Sounds like a dangerous combination.”

  He nods and his wicked smile widens. He’s terrifying and thrilling all at the same time.

  “It sounds exactly like what we need right now.”

  The hard lines of his abdomen guide my fingertips as I push against his shirt. Quietly, I pull it over his head, jostling his messy hair into his eyes. He pulls it the rest of the way off and his warm skin feels magnetic.

  Is it magic pulling us together, or ... something else?

  His hand grasps my hip, but too much space still separates our bodies. A tingling feeling consumes me and I tremble with pent up energy.

  “This doesn’t mean anything.” Does it?

  I’m trying to convince myself. Trying to convince us.

  We’re barely even friends.

  We’re certainly not intimate.

  Not in a logical way. Not in a way I can even try to understand.

  “If it makes you feel better, you can pretend you don’t want me, Vi. I’m a Fae. I can sense your emotions t
oo much for you to ever lie. Your emotions give you away.” The rasping tone of his voice overtakes his words as his breath fans across my skin.

  Demanding energy swarms my body, pushing me to make or break in this tiny cell.

  My lips brush against his, so lightly it makes me weak. At the small feel of our lips meeting, he grips my hips hard and pushes his chest against mine until he’s right back on top of me.

  On the dirty floor, our bodies rock and grind against one another.

  Nollix's hand pushes up my abdomen in a rush of heat that blazes all through me. The hard length beneath his jeans presses against my center and I moan against his tongue.

  No one's ever touched me like this. Not in the consuming and demanding way Nollix is right now. If things were different, I'd try to take things further. I want to feel more. I want someone to make me feel something more for just a little while.

  Nollix would. He isn't sweet. He isn't apologetic. He'd take what I'd give and he wouldn't pause to reconsider.

  The connection I felt when Link kissed me was warm and familiar and safe. That's not what this is. It isn't the two of us finding comfort in one another.

  Hell, if things were normal between us, I'd never be wrapped around his hard body.

  I'd avoid him. I'd avoid his wildness.

  And I'd be all the happier to do so.

  But right now, we're working together for a goal. We're using our bodies to fuel our magic.

  If only my heart could remember that.

  His rough palm pushes up my shirt. His fingertips skim slowly across my skin. He pushes hard over the curve of my breast before rolling his thumb across my nipple.

  My back arches into his touch. One of his hands holds him steady while the other explores my body at a slow and teasing pace. He grinds his shaft just perfectly against my clit until I'm trembling beneath him. I'm breathless as he pulls away to rake his teeth against my jaw and across my neck.

  There's no nature within our cell. There is only a minimal amount of oxygen and four hard walls enclosed with powerful magic. There's no natural breeze for our powers to use. But our magic pushes to get out anyway.

  Our magic builds together as our emotions become more and more uncontrollable.

  With expert movements and a groan of pleasure, Nollix grinds his hips against mine until my nails sink into his smooth shoulders. The friction of our jeans pushes against me just right. He strokes his length against me as if he’s thought about fucking me long before this moment.

  He pulls back from me. Wild eyes hold mine as he watches my every emotion intently. He pushes his hips firmly against mine, leaving no space to spare between us. Harder he grinds against my core.

  Our magic coils between us and I feel it deep within myself. It builds into this unmanageable thing.

  Until it releases on a moaning cry as I come hard beneath him.

  Just as the walls combust around us.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Illusions of Alliances

  The moment the cell opens up around us, I take a final shaking breath before pushing Nollix off of me. He lies on his back looking up at me. It takes him a moment to finally join me.

  I meet his hooded eyes. He holds my gaze even as he grips his dick and adjusts himself right in front of me.

  A tense feeling pushes through my chest as I look quickly away.

  My heartbeat hammers in my ears and I wonder if I’ll ever have the guts to look him in the eye again. I try hard to force the wind to carry us away. But there is no wind to assist us. Ribbons of metal slice through one wall, revealing a room just outside of here. On silent footsteps, I step over the shredded metal of our cell and out into the steely hall. It’s just as dark as our cell. Iron surrounds us on all sides. We escaped our cell just to run out into an even larger prison.

  Nollix walks closely by my side. Our steps are in sync as we wander down the dimly lit corridor. There are no weapons to aid us. Barely any magic. Unless Nollix can grind another orgasm out of me, we’re pretty defenseless.

  He’s strong, though. Stupidly resilient. I have no doubt he’d fight to his death.

  My stomach sinks just thinking about it.

  I have to find a way to sneak us out of this iron dungeon.

  I’ve never been here. Everything is foreign and dark. The darkness presses in on me. Small lights dot the floor, guiding our steps but not reaching high enough to help me see where we’re headed.

  Nollix’s hand slips into mine. His arm is rigid each time it skims against me. The smooth and defined veins of his forearm brush against my skin. Tension is strung tight within his muscles.

  I stumble and he pulls me closer to him before I fall. Smooth panes of his bare chest brush against my thin shirt. His strength and warmth wash over me. Stiffly, I pull back. Another blind step is taken and my boot hits metal. I raise my foot a little higher, realizing stairs are just in front of us. We take the steps, our attention held on the depths of the blackness. It’s so dense it makes it hard to breathe. A sense of anxiety creeps into me from the lack of light.

  My palm brushes over the cool wall, searching for some insight in the dark.

  Hard metal meets my fingertips as my palm presses against what seems to be a door just in front of us.

  The cool iron runs along my fingertips. Hesitantly, my fingers wrap around the handle. Nollix squeezes my palm, sending a jolt of reassurance through me.

  I turn the handle. Harsh white light blinds my vision. For several seconds, the two of us just stand in the doorway looking out into that light.

  Until we hear him speak.

  “Come forth, Daughter. Let me see your beautiful face I’ve come to love.” The King’s taunting tone creeps down my spine and I step forward.

  Nollix keeps his hand locked around mine.

  We’re about to die.

  We’re about to die hand in hand.

  For once in his life, Jeriko was right; I walked right into my death by coming after my father.

  It startles me to find we’re at the Court of Darkness once again. The room is empty for the most part. Our boots scuff over the polished tile. It sounds oddly hollow. Everything is in perfect condition. It isn’t at all the broken destruction I left it in just days ago.

  I turn to find the door we entered through has vanished.

  My lungs constrict with a tightness that I can’t manage to find a breath around. None of this seems real.

  What if none of this is real?

  He’s incredibly powerful. How much of my life is he able to manipulate?

  The King lounges on a throne high above me, staring down on my little existence.

  Hanging from the ceiling are two thick ropes. They’re a straight line down, down, down. Hanging from the ropes are two men. A sick feeling turns my stomach as my attention drifts from one rope to the other.

  Hanging limply and lifelessly are Link and Cameron. A noose rests around their necks, but it doesn’t cling to their throats.

  They’re unconscious and … suspended.

  “I didn’t want to take their lives without an audience. You know how much I enjoy an adoring audience.”

  Rage rushes through me as my attention swings up to my father.

  His arms rest along the shining throne. One hand taps against the armrest, while the other ends abruptly in a blunt smooth mass of skin. His hand is missing but the arm is healed with only minimal scarring.

  A manic look slices through his features as he smiles at me.

  My magic tingles within me, stinging painfully to release.

  But for some reason it’s locked within my chest.

  Perhaps this isn’t the Court of Darkness at all. Simply an illusion. What kind of power is he using to prevent my abilities?

  Link and Cameron aren’t illusions. I can physically feel Link’s prickling energy as if it were my own.

  “Of course, I’d be willing to spare their weak souls.” The King’s attention bores into the side of my face.

  Behin
d his gleaming throne stands Jeriko. The corner of his fat lips tip up in an arrogant smirk.

  Nollix’s grip on me tightens. That anger within him shakes through his frame.

  “Join my efforts, Violence. I have so many opportunities awaiting us.” A short pause drifts through his steady words. “I can take you. It’d be simple to take you and lock you away. But I want your word that you’ll aid me. I want your magic at my disposal. You’ve spent your entire life using your magic as I advise. Now would be no different, Child.”

  He’s right. In a way, he’s right. Helping him now isn’t any different from what I’ve done my entire life. Honestly, I’m tired of being invisible. I’m tired of only living to reap the dead.

  I want to live.

  And I want vengeance.

  But he doesn’t need to know that. There are more opportunities here than he sees.

  And I’m willing to take them.

  I take a step forward, but Nollix pulls me back to him.

  His wide eyes are intense and shine with pent up power.

  “Don’t.” That’s all he says. It’s all he seems to have the nerve to say to me.

  Don’t. Don’t what, Nollix?

  Tell me something I have to stay here for. Tell me one single thing to make me stay.

  The tightness in his jaw spasms beneath the skin.

  We stare at each other for several long seconds; me wishing he’d say something, him wishing I’d listen to his unspoken words.

  That’s the most dangerous thing in the world; unspoken words.

  I pull lightly once more and he releases my hand. I know the best thing for our cause is to not look back at him. I need to cling to the beaten composure I’m holding.

  My heart feels heavy in my chest, though. He released me so easily.

  I told Nollix our kiss meant nothing. And I was right.

  I take the steps slowly, my boots feeling weighted. The emotion that’s run rampant within me these last few days is pushed down. It’s silent and weak.

  Just like the King wants me to be.

  When I step up to him, I hold my father’s pleased gaze. He watches me as I take my place at the side of his throne. His wounded arm is nearest me and I take a small amount of pride, knowing Nollix broke him just slightly. I stand opposite of Jeriko, but I don’t look to him. My attention lingers on the man who stares up at me. He looks smaller than I remember.