Accacia’s Trilogy: Sisters of Hex

by Paige, Bea

  “Their screams were like nothing I’ve heard before, or since, Accacia. The sound of them dying has haunted every waking moment of my long life. At night there is no respite, either. For so long I have wanted to join them, to end the pain I feel.”

  “Ezra…”

  “Every night since I lost them I have dreamt of them both. The dream is always the same. I’m standing at the edge of the Light field, Thalia and Roseanna are standing in the middle, laughing and holding hands, but I am never able to reach them. No matter how hard I try I can never get to them. But now something has changed.”

  “What?” I ask gently.

  “Earlier today, in the fae kingdom, I had the same dream. Except this time Thalia and Roseanna were standing next to me. At last I had them in my arms. For so long I’ve wanted to be with them, to join them in the Light and then…”

  “Yes?”

  Ezra looks directly at me. “Then you came into my life. You, Accacia, are the reason I can let them go now. I’ve been fighting myself every minute since we’ve met. Fighting this feeling that I haven’t experienced for so very long. I have treated you unfairly because I haven’t been able to deal with these new emotions you have stirred in me. For that I am truly sorry.” He raises a hand against my face and I am completely lost for words. “I said goodbye to Thalia, to Roseanna. I watched them walk into the Light fields, watched as the Light welcomed them into its arms until finally they disappeared. And do you know what, Accacia, something finally lifted from my shoulders. The guilt I’ve carried for so long left me as they did. For the first time in a thousand years I finally feel as though I can live. When I woke up after saying goodbye and found you next to me, I knew with absolute clarity that you are the reason I am here today. You are the reason I choose to live,” Ezra squeezes my hands. “When I said I would live for you, I meant it. Thank you, for giving me your blood. For saving me from myself.”

  My heart catches in my chest. “But earlier, you didn’t want me to help you. You didn’t want my blood,” I say, confused.

  Ezra smiles. It is shaky, but it is there nonetheless. “In the forest, when you ordered that I return to you, I made a promise to myself.”

  “And what was that?”

  “I promised that the next time I took your blood, you would be my wife.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “You want to marry me?” I say, standing up. I’m pretty certain my mouth is hanging open in shock. Talk about emotional rollercoaster. My head is spinning. The most unbelievable part is I want to say yes. That fact itself scares me half to death. Did Ezra just profess his love for me, or have I imagined that part?

  He stands with me. “Marry? I’ve never heard that expression before. Is it the same as the Joining ceremony, something that takes place on Earth?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” I say, puffing out a breath.

  “Of course, it is true to say that the moment you gave me your blood we were bonded. The Joining is simply a ceremonial act that makes it more official. What do you say, Accacia?” he asks, stepping closer.

  “Ezra…” I begin, not sure if I can give him an answer.

  “It’s a lot to take in, I know. I will give you time, Accacia. I will wait. Despite what Devin thinks, I am a patient man.” He laughs then, and the sound is light, happy.

  But that’s just it, that’s part of the reason I’m unable to just say yes, despite my crazy heart wanting me to. There are Devin and Rhain to consider too. I care about them both. My feelings for them are growing rapidly and I’ve not had time to explore them properly. I can’t possibly make such an important decision without considering those feelings first.

  Say yes, Accacia.

  Devin, what the hell? Now you decide to speak up.

  It’s a simple decision.

  The hell it is! Ezra wants me to be his wife, Devin. What about…

  Rhain? Me? He chuckles, and I have the sudden urge to smack him. I would if he was standing nearby.

  “Be my guest,” Devin says, as he walks through the door.

  “Brother,” Ezra says. “I was just asking Accacia to bond with me officially, to partake in the Joining ceremony.”

  “I know. Red can’t hide her thoughts or feelings all that well. The connection we have through the Binding is most interesting.” Devin grins, winking at me. I blanch. Behind him Rhain enters, he’s also grinning at me. What the hell are they all finding so amusing?

  “Actually, I was thinking about the fact that we’ve only just met. I’ve known you all a handful of days. Days,” I repeat.

  Devin shrugs. “What does that matter? I have lived longer than a thousand years. That’s a lot of days to be alone, Red.”

  “Time is irrelevant when you find the one you want.” Rhain walks over to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders. He kisses me in front of his brothers, not caring in the slightest. I’m pretty sure Devin said something similar to me a few days ago when he was trying to persuade me to sleep with Rhain. I laugh hysterically.

  “Of course it’s relevant. You are no more than strangers.”

  “We are not strangers,” Rhain says, his eyes alight with desire.

  I push at his chest. “You know what I mean. This isn’t normal behaviour. You can’t expect me to become Ezra’s wife just like that.” I look between Rhain and Devin, then at Ezra.

  “What was your immediate reaction,” Ezra says, stepping closer to me. “When I asked, what was the first thought that came to your mind?”

  My throat goes dry and I step away from him, effectively backing myself into Rhain who has, somehow, manoeuvred behind me. “You haven’t actually asked…” I mumble. Behind me I hear Rhain chuckle. Feel his arm snake around my waist, feel my body melt into him ever so slightly. Damn him and damn my traitorous body.

  Ezra stops short, considering me. He doesn’t seem at all concerned that Rhain is nibbling at my ear.

  “You’re right, I haven’t…”

  “Oh no,” I start, waving my hand at him. “I didn’t mean you should…”

  Hush, Red, let him. Devin says silently. I turn to look at him, he is leaning against the door, arms crossed, an amused smile on his face. I haven’t seen Ezra this at peace for, well, before the curse.

  Devin, stop him. This isn’t…

  Isn’t what? Right? You are a member of Clan Lux. You might not have grown up here, with us, but who we are as a people is still there, ingrained within your blood. We love freely, Red. Don’t let those same excuses stop you from making a decision that will make you happy. Besides, it’s too late. Joining ceremony or not, the moment you gave Ezra your blood you were bonded with him for life anyway.

  But…

  You may not have acted on instinct when you gave Ezra your blood, but the reason why you did it remains the same. You wanted him to live, for us, for you. That hasn’t changed, has it?

  No, but…

  Devin pushes off from the door and approaches us all. He joins his brothers and they move around me until I am centred in the middle. A broken memory of sultry music and hands covering my body filters back into my head. That disjointed memory is the only part of that night that doesn’t fill me with dread. My heart rate increases as I remember the way it felt to be surrounded by them all. Devin looks at me, a half-smile forming on his face.

  “Rhain and I knew what it would mean if Ezra ever accepted your blood. We knew you would be joined for life. We wanted that for him, for you.”

  “You don’t care?” I ask, my heart stuttering.

  “It’s not that we don’t care. It’s that it doesn’t matter. It is not unusual for our people to have multiple partners. I’ve told you this before, Red. We want you to understand it’s okay to feel something for more than one person at a time.”

  “And I’m assuming you mean I should accept the same from you?” I say, feeling a knot tie up in my stomach. The thought of any of them with someone else makes me feel sick. Bugger that. Feeding is one thing, they have to do it to survive, I’m
beginning to understand that. But being with someone else, loving them, I don’t think I can take that. Even when I don’t really know how I feel, I know that much.

  “No. Never,” Rhain says fiercely. “There will be no one else for any of us.”

  Ezra steps forward again and takes my hand. “I’ve been a fool…” he begins.

  “But what about everything else,” I say, cutting him off. “There are bigger things going on here.” They look at me blankly. “The curse, the prophecy, the other sisters. My friend, Clover. You came to find me for those reasons. I am here to break the curse. There’s so much at stake, I can’t just marry…” My voice trails off. God, I am a mess of confusion.

  “Don’t you think it is about time Accacia knows the full truth,” Nostra says as he walks in the room. He flicks his wrist and the broken earthenware that I hadn’t finished cleaning up mends itself, the tables and chairs straighten, and the rug is pulled flat. The smell of food wafts under my nose, and a loaf of bread, butter, and cheese appear on the table alongside a large jug of red wine.

  “Stop crowding Accacia and let her eat. If you are hungry I suggest you go and take blood elsewhere and return when you are satiated. In the meantime, I will fill Accacia in on the full prophecy,” Nostra says dismissively.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good…” Rhain starts, but Nostra snaps his fingers and Rhain’s mouth clamps shut. Nostra raises his eyebrow at the look Rhain is giving him.

  “Half-truths are nothing but lies dressed up. Accacia deserves to know the truth. Then she can make her own mind up.”

  Devin, what is Nostra talking about?

  Devin opens his mouth, then shuts it again. He pats Rhain on the back then turns to me, raising a hand to my cheek. “Nostra’s right, we should have told you everything. We only kept it from you because we didn’t want it to affect your decision. We shall get our moment, we have unfinished business you and I.”

  I look at Devin helplessly, then at Rhain, who stops in front of me. He doesn’t say a word and I don’t know if that’s because he can’t, or because he won’t. Either way, he pulls me in for a deep kiss and I react the same way I always do when he ignites such desire in me, and kiss him thoroughly. He pulls back, pressing his forehead against mine. “You have become my world, Cia. For me there is only you.”

  “I…”

  Rhain steps away and Ezra takes his place. He reaches for my hand and runs a finger over the ring that still remains firmly fixed in place. “It is thanks to Nostra’s magic we found you. I hope what he has to say will not send you away again,” he says, those grey eyes of his worried now.

  Ezra turns my hand over and lifts my wrist to his mouth. For a moment I think he is going to bite me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he presses a gentle kiss against my middle finger, where I gave him blood the first time, then he slides his lips over the now healed spot on my wrist where his teeth punctured me not an hour or more before.

  “I still have a question to ask. I hope that the next time we meet you will allow me to ask it.” With that he turns from me and walks out of the door, following his brothers.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I’m sorry about the mess…” I start, waving my hand in front of me, completely ignoring the fact that my heart is tumultuous inside my chest.

  “What mess?” Nostra asks. Of course, the room is now tidy, his magic having sorted the aftermath of mine and Rhain’s lovemaking with one flick of his wrist. “I am a witch, we don’t do mess. Come and sit down, eat. Let me fill you in on a few matters.”

  I raise my eyebrows, my cheeks colouring at the memory of Rhain and me making love on this very table. “Okay.” I sit down and pick up a piece of bread, cutting into the cheese and placing both in my mouth. Hungry is an understatement.

  After we have eaten our fill, Nostra folds his hands in front of him and rests his eyes on me.

  “For reasons they thought best, Rhain, Ezra and Devin have not told you everything you need to know about the prophecy. I can understand their reasoning and until this morning was in agreement in not telling you it all. But, knowing you a little better now, I think you would want to know everything, yes?”

  “I would, yes.” Out of the corner of my eye I see Mr Tickle stretch, his back arching. Then he saunters over to me, leaping up onto my lap. I smile down at him, stroking his head. He is such an empathic cat. Just like now, Mr Tickle has always had a way of knowing when I am worried or nervous or sad and in need of comfort.

  “There is something I must show you,” Nostra says, and with a quick flick of his wrist the table is cleared. Above us, words begin to form.

  “This, Accacia, is the prophecy in full.”

  The purple letters swirl about one another until finally they settle. I begin to read.

  Five sisters born beneath the stars

  Neither bound by blood nor kin

  Must unify the warring clans

  And rid the land of sin

  Their lives they are beholden

  A curse atop their heads

  Broken only by a love divided

  Betwixt three allied men

  There will be opposition

  To peace and harmony

  A plan to cause division

  Must never come to be

  In great danger they will find themselves

  Amongst divided lands

  Their fate held in the balance

  Of their lovers’ hands

  A gold band, it will signify

  The unity of the clan

  And once each ring is worn in place

  Five sisters will take command

  I stare up at the prophecy, reading it over and over, trying to make sense of it. I know now that I am one of the five sisters, that I am wearing the ring Nostra spelled on me as a baby. I’ve read it all, understand it. But one verse sticks above all else…

  Their lives they are beholden

  A curse atop their heads

  Broken only by a love divided

  Betwixt three allied men

  The words fade from my eyes, but I won’t forget them. “Three allied men. Rhain, Ezra and Devin?” I whisper.

  Nostra nods. “Yes.”

  “A love divided?”

  Nostra sighs. “Love has always been the most powerful magic there is, Accacia. It is no surprise to me that it’s part of the prophecy and required to break the curse.”

  “But three, all three?”

  “Yes, Accacia. Why does this bother you so?”

  “Because where I come from, being in a relationship with more than one person is frowned upon. It’s not the norm.”

  “Then the people who believe that are fools. Do not misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with loving just one person, but equally, there is nothing wrong with loving more than one person. Love should not be confined to fit an ideal. Unless that ideal is what an individual is happy with. Besides, Accacia, you are not from there. You are from Ever Vale. Tell me, when you really consider the thought of being loved by three men, loving them in return and everyone being okay with that, what is stopping you?”

  I look at Nostra, considering his words. “But what if they don’t… what if I don’t…” A sudden panic fills me. Maybe they were right not to tell me the full prophecy. Having that kind of pressure. What if I can’t love them, what if they can’t love me. Then the curse will remain, and we are all damned. “Love can’t be forced, Nostra. I’m not even entirely sure what love is supposed to feel like. My whole life has been spent in darkness trying desperately to figure out how to cure myself of this sickness, this curse, and now you’re telling me it can be broken by love. It seems so simple and so bloody impossible all at the same time.”

  “Nothing is impossible, Accacia.”

  “Yes, but it isn’t as simple as that. I am one person. The curse relies on five of us. Clover, my dearest, oldest friend, there is a great chance she will die alongside the rest of the fae because of the actions of the fae king. It is not as simple as loving s
omeone and being loved in return, is it?”

  Nostra shakes his head. “The prophecy forewarns of great danger. It would not be a curse if it was easy to break. But I find it interesting that the part you are most worried about is the part involving love.”

  I don’t respond. Honestly, I’m not sure what to say. Although it feels like I have known Rhain, Ezra and Devin for years, in reality it has only been days. Days. Already I have undergone the Claiming with Rhain, joined with Ezra, and Devin and I have swapped a piece of our souls in the Binding, twice now. That in itself is a lot to handle, to take in. Since meeting Rhain in the carpark for the first time a few days ago my feet have not touched the ground. My head is spinning with it all; the curse, the prophecy, the brothers, Ever Vale, the queen, Clover and the fae. How, amongst all of that, can I even begin to sort out my feelings? I need time to absorb it all. To breathe.

  “There is nothing you need to decide upon now. Ezra will wait until you are ready. If you ever become ready to be his wife. Rhain will keep his distance if you wish, although now he has claimed you that may prove difficult. Still, at least this time it won’t kill him.” Nostra laughs, then noticing the look on my face, stops himself. “Apologies, Accacia. That was insensitive.”

  “What about Devin?”

  “Devin already understands you, probably more so than the others because you have swapped a piece of your soul with him. He is already beneath your skin, is he not?” Nostra says, tapping a finger against his head.

  “Yes, I suppose.” In their own way, all three of the vampires have indeed crept beneath my skin. Am I in love with them? I don’t know. Could I be? I don’t want to answer that question right now.