“Franklin dabbles in black magic, but he’s not very good. His fae broke free and escaped. Black magic is being taught to only a few of the more skilled Druids here.”
My knowledge of black magic was minimal. The little I read about said Druids weren’t born with it like their normal magic. It was something you had to learn, to be taught because it wasn’t natural for Druids to do harm. We were known to be one with nature, not against it. Hurting, control, power—it corrupted the soul. The book I had read was very firm that it was wrong and immoral.
Except you desire it, don’t you? A voice tickled the back of my mind.
I wrapped a strand of hair around my finger, shoving the thought back. “Is there a reason they’re all male?”
“The male fae minds are easier to control than the women’s.” Wizard shifted his weight back and forth. “Not much different from humans, huh?” He laughed, but when I didn’t join in, it died away awkwardly. “So…um…there’s another girl who dabbles in the black arts, Cali, who is also an American, but she’s out on a mission with hers. They have a special relationship.”
“What does that mean?”
“She sleeps with hers.” He cringed. “I know fae are supposed to be great at sex and all, but…” He shook his head like he had a bad taste in his mouth.
“Really?” I kept my face blank.
“It’s not against the rules here or anything, just frowned on.”
My stomach clenched at the indignity. No, we had not progressed at all. Only the players on the field had changed.
“Kenya is one of the most powerful in the dark arts here and still struggles to keep them under a spell. That’s why Major took notice of you in the club. You seemed to control yours with little effort or magic.”
I should have been more guarded. There were so many times I could have slipped.
“Believe me, it takes more effort than you think to handle this one.” I stared at the silhouette of Lorcan. “Could you give me a few moments?” I tried to hide my nervousness. “I actually wouldn’t mind strengthening my spell.”
Wizard shook his head. “No way am I leaving you here with them.”
“I’ll be fine. Go,” I ordered, my jaw set.
He hesitated and gazed around the pit as if trying to imagine the worst that could happen but finally relented. “Okay, but come up soon. We shouldn’t even be down here after hours.” He headed for the stairs then stopped. “You might think because I’m human I don’t really have a fight in this like the Druids, but my parents were killed for harboring a Druid family. I was scarcely five when fae murdered them in front of me. Everyone here has a reason to hate them. Don’t pity these things; they’ll turn on you in a moment. They’re ruthless and malicious.”
I bit my lip against the onslaught of grief he exuded. I understood his need to blame, but it never made the situation better. How was turning these men, who probably had nothing to do with the killings, into slaves going to help the situation? So easy to blame. If I thought this way, I’d also want all the fae murdered for killing my family. But not all fae, humans, or Druids are the same.
Wizard darted up the stairs. The moment I heard the sound of the door shutting behind him, my feet flew across the room.
“Lorcan,” I cried out his name, falling to my knees on the hay. He didn’t move or open his eyes. The spell was only temporary, it had to be mostly through his system by now. “Lorcan?” My hands slid over his stubble, cupping his face.
His mouth pressed together, letting me tilt his face down to me.
“Please, look at me,” I whispered.
He lifted his lids, his irises were green, but his pupils were vertical. Absolutely no emotion seeped through them, gutting me like an ice cream scooper.
“I’m so sorry.” I tipped my head into his, the apology feeling pathetic.
“You should go,” his voice rumbled low, blank of sentiment.
“No. I can’t leave you like this.”
“What are you going to do?” He sneered. “I’m fae. This is where fae sleep. Where the pitiless and malicious belong.”
“Lorcan…”
“Go.” His eyes flared with red.
“No.” I gritted out.
“Kennedy, I understand why you did it.” His was voice hollow, not matching his statement. “But you shouldn’t be here.”
My heart felt like it had been tossed off a high-rise, splatting onto hard concrete. The pain of walking away from him, leaving him in this hell, was torture.
“Go now,” he growled. “Before you’re caught.”
I choked back a whimper, letting my hands drop from his face. He was right. I couldn’t do anything. We had to stay in character if we wanted this to work. We’d made it this far, and it couldn’t be for nothing.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, my head down.
He didn’t respond in any way, staying still. I couldn’t imagine how hard this was for him. A proud alpha, letting himself be caged and humiliated, all because he made a deal with a demon to protect me.
This is all because of you, Ken. He is only sitting here, pretending to be a zombie, because of you.
The knot in my throat bobbed back up, and I squeaked out a woeful noise as I stood. He stared straight ahead, like I wasn’t even there, tearing my heart into tiny pieces.
I leaned over and brushed my lips across the spot between his eyebrows. Then I whirled around and ran back up the stairs before I completely lost my will.
I would get him—us—out of here as soon as I could, whatever it entailed. Whatever I had to do to prove myself, I would do it. Quickly.
The truth bubbled under the surface and rooted in my bones. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him.
NINETEEN
A hard pounding on the door bolted me awake with a cry. “Raven?” Wizard’s voice came through the door. A strip of light glowed at the base of the doorway.
“Yeah?” I rubbed my head, feeling I had just shut my eyes. I probably had. My thoughts of Lorcan, of what I had to accomplish here, kept me up most of the night.
“It’s six a.m. I thought you might want to have breakfast together before you start training.”
“Oh, yeah…sure.” I scrubbed my face, trying to wake up.
“Twenty minutes, I’ll meet you in the hub?”
“Uh-huh.” I yawned, sliding my feet to the floor. I was exhausted, but as Queen I was used to moving before my lids even opened. Normally I was okay with early mornings. Not today. “They better have coffee here. A lot of it,” I mumbled to myself. Grabbing my bathroom bag, towel, and sweats, I hurried to the showers.
I walked into the shower stalls and yelped, a deep blush heating my face. Wizard warned me they were coed and Druids were free with their bodies. This early in the morning, I wasn’t prepared for it. Several men and women walked around naked in front of me. I grew up in a household where we never saw each other naked.
Most of the humans ignored me, but the few Druids stared at me with interest, watching me carefully as I passed them. At least I was used to being stared at as Queen. I kept my chin up and moved to an empty stall at the end, closing the curtain behind me.
Loud groaning and grunts came from the stall next to mine. Great. Naked strangers and sex before I even had any coffee.
I turned on the water, drowning my head under the stream of water, hoping to block out the moans. My body reacted to the sounds of pleasure, craving its own. My thoughts put me in a similar situation, but the man joining me was not who I should be thinking of. The dweller had always been the one who breached my visions and took over my fantasies, even when I thought I loathed him. The first time I touched myself, it had been his image that pushed me over. Not my boyfriend.
Him. It always came back to him.
I let my hand slide down my body, pretending it was Lorcan’s hand. My body woke up from a coma, coming to life with force. I squeezed my lids, gasping as I rubbed harder. Memories of how he felt inside, what he did to me, reached me to
the edge faster than I thought.
“Har-der! Fuck…harder,” a woman’s thick Irish accent demanded, her voice instantly recognizable.
Kenya.
A man grunted, skin slapping together frantically. “Oh. Fuck…woman.”
Franklin.
My hand dropped away, my head leaning against the cool tile. When it was anonymous, it was hot, but now that I had their faces in my head. Ugh.
I showered as fast as I could and got out. After brushing my teeth, I hurried back to my room, deciding to change there.
A few minutes after my scheduled meetup, I greeted Wizard in the hub. No one was training yet, most heading toward the cafeteria.
“Good shower? They can sometimes get cold if you’re too late.”
“Uh.” I swept my wet hair over my shoulder, trying to air-dry it. “It was interesting. Little hotter than I expected.”
A grin spread over Wizard’s mouth. “I should have warned you. It’s why I take showers before six.”
I peered at him, wondering if he really understood my meaning.
“Every morning.” He shook his head. “That’s why everyone laughs when both say they are not together.”
“Every morning?” I was going to have to go way earlier or later from now on.
“And sometimes at night. I caught them in the war room several times. I keep disinfectant close by.”
“Wow.” I chuckled. “Thanks for the warning.”
“They are passionate. They fight and have sex at the same volume and intensity. I imagine it’s what split them up, and keeps them coming back for more,” Wizard said as we stepped into the cafeteria. About twenty already sat eating, though a line formed at the buffet area. “Coffee?”
I suddenly missed Torin, the way he took my hand the moment I walked out my bedroom door. I missed his smile, those bright blue-violet eyes glimmering as he bowed in greeting, saying, “My lady,” and handed me my coffee. A flinch of sadness constricted my chest. I couldn’t deny I missed talking to him, having him by my side. But not one time did his face come to me when I touched myself. Not one time did I think about him in my bed.
“It’s not great.” Wizard motioned over to a table. Hot water and coffee were in large orange thermoses, like those at football games. Dry creamer and sugar sat to the side. “But caffeine’s caffeine, right?”
Not exactly, but I filled my cup, dumping in whatever processed products they had to improve it. I realized how spoiled I had become having the best natural ingredients. Fae weren’t into processed food. It took me a lot of begging to even get flavored coffee creamers.
Eyes were on me from around the room as Wizard and I ate. Major, Poppy, and Ophelia sat with us. I noticed most of the newbies sat together, shooting me curious looks over their shoulders. I was already singled out, sitting with the instructors and leaders.
“Raven’s already had the shower initiation.” Wizard bumped Ophelia’s arm.
“Ah.” She grinned. “Har-der. Har-der!” Ophelia mimicked Kenya’s voice perfectly, making me snort eggs up my nose.
“Please, I’m eating,” Major choked. “Seriously. Stop.”
“What’s wrong, Major? Upset your parents get it on more than you do?” Poppy chuckled, shoving a bite into her mouth.
“Not like they’re actually the parents who raised me.” He frowned, annoyance curling his lip. “But no one wants to hear any mother and father having sex,” he grumbled. It was the first time his stoic shield came down, and I actually saw someone besides the apathetic guy who held a knife to my throat.
“Told you, whenever you want to give them a run for their money, I’m in.” Poppy shrugged then continued to eat, like she hadn’t just bluntly propositioned him.
Major looked down at his food, muttering something, but a blush crawled up his neck.
“Will you two just screw and get it over with?” Ophelia rolled her eyes, but she quickly peered at Major.
“All him. I’m more than ready.” Poppy wiped her hands on her napkin, grabbing her tray. “You ready, Lia? Time we get out there.”
Ophelia rose with her. “See you on the mats, Raven.”
I nodded, watching the two girls walk away. I liked her.
“Poor Major.” Wizard snickered in his coffee. “What a troubled web we weave.”
Major glared at him, tossing his fork on his plate.
“What?” I asked.
“Poppy wants Major. Major wants Ophelia.”
“Shut up, wanker.” Major’s face became stone.
“And who does Ophelia like?” It was like being in high school.
“Oh, Ophelia secretly wants him so bad it’s heartbreaking, but Poppy is her best friend. She’ll never go there.”
Major shoved back his chair, stood, and stomped away with aggravation.
Wizard laughed. “He’s so screwed because if he gives in to Poppy, he ruins the deal with Ophelia, and he sincerely likes her. So the three dance around each other. No one will cave.”
“And here I thought Druids were into ménage a trois and group sex. Problem solved.”
Coffee sprayed from Wizard’s mouth onto his breakfast tray. His eyes widened as he looked at me through his glasses with surprise.
A laugh buckled my stomach. I covered my mouth, heaving with giggles. The comment may have been a Raven thing to say, but I hadn’t been trying to be her this morning. I felt the two sides of me rubbing against each other. Kennedy, the controlled Seelie Queen, and Raven, the outspoken Druid. I was here to infiltrate these people. Betray them even. But I was also starting to like them.
Yeah, what a troubled web we weave.
I was signed up for a morning training session with Kenya, after lunch target practice with Mayhem, then after-dinner training with Poppy and Ophelia, finishing with another lesson from Kenya.
Wizard headed off for the war room, saying something about meeting for lunch, while I directed myself to the hub. A mix of humans and Druids tussled with each other. The trainees wore dark gray sweat outfits, while the leaders wore black military-type pants.
“Hey, you must be the new girl.” An American accent reached my ears. A girl in her twenties with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin, possibly of Hispanic descent, walked boldly up to me. Her figure was curvy under her cargo pants and tank, her hair wrapped in a bun. She exuded confidence. Security in herself, her body, and her sexuality almost smacked you in the face. “I’m Cali.” She held out her hand.
“Raven.” I shook it.
“You are already the talk of the hub.” She had a loud voice, drawing attention to us. “It’s nice. For once it’s not me this crew is talking about.” I opened my mouth, but she continued. “We Yanks have to stick together, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“I heard you also dabbled in black magic before coming here, and you have a fae too.”
My very own pet fae.
“Another thing we have in common. Mine’s been with me for over a year now. Started practicing the dark arts when I was a teenager.” She brushed a loose hair from her face. “I’m sure you’ve already heard about us. This place is like high school. But the joke’s on them. Sex with fae is incredible.” She tilted her head back. She talked fast, but she was not bubbly. She had a hard, blunt edge to her, and I instantly liked her. I suspected she would say whatever was on her mind. And probably more. “And I swear, Wolf has trained in the sex Olympics or something like it.”
“Wolf?”
“He’s a shape-shifter. A wolf-snake.” She folded her arm under her voluminous breasts. In contrast, mine felt flat as planks. “Slinking into places is his forte. Comes in handy when you’re on a mission or need to get into tight places.” She grinned.
Please say there was no double meaning there. “He’s easy to control?”
“I only had to do one initial spell on him. Quite unusual.” She shrugged. “I know Kenya has had to refresh her thrall a couple times. All her fae fight it tooth and nail.”
“Wolf does
n’t?”
“No. He just does what I say without me even having to ask. It’s awesome.” Her lashes flicked to the side, twisting her gaze from mine. My instincts told me there was more to the story.
“What about you?” She turned back, a naughty grin hinting on her mouth. “You ever taken yours for a ride?”
“Uh.” More like he took me.
“Cali, can you shut your gob for a moment, luv?” Kenya yelled over at us. I turned, realizing she had been waiting for us with three other Druids I had yet to meet. They were all staring at us impatiently.
“What do you think?” Cali lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow at Kenya.
“How you do missions without being caught is beyond me.” Kenya rolled her eyes, but warmth hinted at her mouth.
“I’m good.” Cali stepped up to the practice area.
“Not that good yet. You haven’t been able to control more than one fae.”
Cali rolled her eyes back. “One’s all I need.”
“Cali.” Kenya frowned, shaking her head.
“Don’t give me that look. You’re the one missing out. You think sex with your baby daddy is good? You have no idea what good is until you’ve been with a fae.”
“Think I’m just fine, luv.” Kenya tilted her head, an eyebrow cocked. If the morning escapade told me anything, she was a very satisfied woman. “Now let’s get to work.” Kenya waved us over to the space dedicated to magic. The three other Druids introduced themselves as Auckland, a guy from New Zealand, Lotus, a girl from Egypt, and Wire, a guy who was excellent at hot-wiring and stealing cars. Seriously?
I was nervous, torn between showing too much of my power or too little. Being Queen had increased the amount of magic I exuded. Though I was nowhere as powerful as Lars, I’d been told I radiated royalty when I walked into a room. Thus my magic was still at a higher level than anyone here. None of them were fae, so they didn’t sense it as much, but I still had to block it. I needed to keep my power from dominating the room, something I was taught by Owen and Cole, but learned to excel in my time with Lorcan. Being with him had shown me how to truly keep calm and find my inner peace.
Lightness Falling (Lightness Saga Book 2) Page 19
